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Mother makes plea in Pasco cold case
Dan Matics reports
SPRING HILL, Fla. - The family of a Pasco County motorcycle gang member, who was murdered in January is increasing the reward money for information hoping for an arrest.
In mid-January, 32-year-old James William Earl’s body was found in his Spring Hill driveway with a gunshot wound.
Friends say he was a Navy veteran and had just gotten engaged to his girlfriend. Detectives on the case also say he was a known member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club.
Around the time of Earl’s death, the member of another motorcycle club was also found dead. However detectives with the Pasco Sheriff's Office say they don’t have any evidence of gang activity connecting the two.
“We don’t know if they are related,” said Det. Samantha Gutierrez with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. “We haven’t necessarily received any information confirming that they are related.”
Earl’s mother, Tina Johnson-Laney, is adding an additional $2,000 to the Crime-Stoppers reward, making for a total of $10,000 if someone comes forward with info that leads to an arrest.
“I’m never going to give up, I’m never going to give up on this,” Johnson-Laney told FOX 13. “It’s tearing me apart; it’s literally tearing me apart. I’m having nightmares.”
Detective Gutierrez stressed tips left with CrimeStoppers can be anonymous.
“Somebody has information about what happened, somebody at least knows a piece of the puzzle,” she said.
Information can be left anonymously by calling 1-800-873-TIPS (1-800-873-8477).
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the victim as William James Earl. This version of this story has been corrected.