New trial date set for man accused of hate crime at Tampa dog park: HCSO

TAMPA - The man who is accused of targeting and killing another man at a dog park because he was gay appeared in court Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing.

Gerald Radford, 66, is charged with second-degree murder and a hate crime enhancement for the Feb. 2024 shooting death of John Walter Lay.

66-year-old Gerald Radford at his pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.

On Tuesday in court, Radford's defense entered an unopposed motion to move the jury trial to a new date.

That's because the FDLE DNA analyst for the trial is unavailable until Jan. 6.

The prosecution agreed that the analyst is important to the case.

Jan. 28 is the new pre-trial date and jury selection is set for Feb. 3.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Radford repeatedly harassed Lay for more than two years, calling him a homophobic slur and making derogatory remarks about Lay's sexual orientation.

Prosecutors say Radford shot and killed the 52-year-old on Feb. 2 during a struggle at the West Dog Park off North Occident Street near Tampa.

Radford will also remain in jail until his trial.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

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