|
Murder suspect surrenders on Cowee
By Lynn Hotaling
A Sylva man wanted in connection with a Florida murder turned himself in Tuesday (Jan. 3) as television cameras rolled.
According to Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, Christopher David Lunz, 38, was taken into custody at an overlook on U.S. 441 just inside Macon County. Lunz himself initiated events by contacting reporter John Le of WLOS-TV because he wanted to give himself up to authorities on camera, Ashe said. Le in turn contacted Ashe’s office, and the surrender was arranged by Ashe in conjunction with U.S. Marshals and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
|
|
|
|
Lunz
|
Westerman
|
|
Lunz is currently in jail in Macon County where he will be arraigned on a first-degree murder warrant from Florida, pending extradition to Florida, Ashe said. That warrant was issued Dec. 22 based on the belief of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Largo, Fla., that Lunz was involved with the March 2003 murder of his estranged father, David James Lunz.
According to Ashe, Lunz indicated that he turned himself in because he was “tired of being a fugitive.”
Christopher Lunz resided at 1406 Tunnel Mountain Rd. with William Timothy Westerman, 25, who is also charged in connection with the murder in Pinellas County. Westerman was picked up in Jackson County during a Dec. 20 traffic stop. He admitted to his involvement and told Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies that Lunz had helped him commit the crime.
Based on information from the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office’s Web site, it is believed the two traveled to the elder Lunz’s home in Palm Harbor, Fla., where they used a stolen gun to murder him. Deputies in Florida believe the crime was part of a robbery attempt.
According to Capt. Steve Lillard, the search for the two in Jackson County began in October, when the gun used in the murder was found in Cedar Cliff Lake by an anonymous citizen, who turned it in to authorities. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office developed information that linked the gun to Westerman, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Westerman is currently being held at the Jackson County Detention Center but has waived extradition as is expected to be picked up by Pinellas deputies later this week.
Ashe credits his department’s “Crimestoppers” effort with helping to bring Westerman and Lunz to justice.
“Thanks to our Crimestoppers program we received a lot of tips that were helping us zero in on their location,” Ashe said.
Anyone with information about suspects wanted in connection with any crime is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office on the Crimestoppers’ hotline, 631-1125, or to provide information online by vising the Sheriff’s Office Web site, www.sheriff.jacksonnc.org.
|
