A man suspected of a grisly murder was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home on Thanksgiving Day, Click Orlando reported.
According to a statement from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a 911 report about a possible murder at a residence in Inverness, Florida, about 75 miles north of Tampa.
When responding deputies arrived at the scene, they knocked on the door but received no answer. The deputies then began checking around the house for possible signs of a crime and in the backyard discovered a large butcher knife, drag marks on the ground, and blood.
The deputies continued to attempt to contact the homeowner, 75-year-old Jonathan Dimick, whom they considered a possible suspect in a crime.
Eventually, the deputies made entry into the home and discovered an unresponsive Dimick seated in his living room suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his abdomen.
Dimick was treated at the scene and flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to the statement.
On further investigation of the scene, deputies found a dismembered body in the trunk of a vehicle. The victim was later identified as 67-year-old James Banks. The vehicle belonged to Banks.
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast, who described the scene as “absolutely shocking” and “horrific,” said it was “unfortunate” that Dimick would “never be prosecuted for this brutal crime.”
Prendergast thanked the courageous 911 caller who reported the crime and also offered his thanks to the deputies for their “quick response.”
According to the Associated Press, the sheriff’s office did not reveal how Dimick knew Banks, or when Banks had been murdered.
