Mother seeks answers after son's Christmas Day 2023 homicide: ‘All I do is sit here and hurt’
Plant City mother seeks answers after son's death
FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports on a Plant City mom who is desperate for answers about her son's death as the Plant City Police Department continues to investigate.
PLANT CITY, Fla. - A mother in Plant City is desperate for answers about her son's death as the Plant City Police Department continues to investigate the double homicide that happened in December 2023.
According to Crime Stopper of Tampa Bay, investigators believe Zonte'veon Shaw, 30, was shot and killed on Christmas Day.
The backstory:
Zonte'veon's mother, Connie Shaw, says that was the last day she saw her son.
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"He used to text me and say, 'I love you, mom,'" Shaw said. "Just out of the blue, like, 'Mom, where are you at?' And I miss that. I don't get the texts anymore."
Shaw says Zonte'veon had a daughter who is now 13 years old.
She says their family spent Christmas Eve together and that Zonte'veon was at his grandmother's house in Plant City on Christmas.
"The day he walked out of here, he left my mom, his girlfriend and his daughter and told them he would be back. She was waiting on a kiss, and she never got a kiss," Shaw said.
Shaw says she kept calling Zonte'veon that night but couldn't get ahold of him. She says she immediately knew something was wrong.
"We thought he was missing, but I know my son," Shaw said. "He would always call me."
Dig deeper:
Around 9:41 p.m. on Christmas, Plant City police responded to a shooting at Louisian St. and S. Morgan St. in Plant City, which isn't far from Zonte'veon's grandmother's house.
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Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay says Jamayais Bennett, 20, was shot and killed. According to the agencies, witnesses believed there was a second victim.
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay says officers searched the area but couldn't find that second victim.
Two days later, Zonte'veon was found dead at a cemetery in Plant City.
"All I do is sit here and hurt," Shaw said.
Big picture view:
For almost a year and a half, Shaw has spent every day trying to find answers about her son's death.
"I keep going to press forward to close this, but what do I get in return?" Shaw said. "I can only do so much."
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Last year, Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay shared security video of the car that the suspects were believed to be in when they shot the two men.
Security video of the car released by Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay.
Plant City police say they're still investigating the double homicide. Police say they need people to come forward if they have any information about the case.
"If you'd seen it, say something," Shaw said. "Because it could be your child too."
What's next:
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
The Florida Association of Crime Stoppers, in partnership with the Florida Attorney General's Office, added $4,500 in reward money, bringing the total reward up to $9,500.
The enhanced reward money is available through June 30.
You can report tips to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay by calling 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or **TIPS. You can also report tips anonymously here.
You can also report tips to the Plant City Police Department.
The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story.
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