TAMPA, Fla. — A witness who held key evidence about the shooting of a gay man at a Tampa dog park last month is speaking out to the I-Team for the first time, days after a suspect was arrested.
In a follow-through report, the I-Team is learning how a video about a death threat was missed by the woman who received it until after she learned her friend had been fatally shot.
Kim Wolfley said West Dog Park is filled with bittersweet memories.
It’s where she spent time with her friend Walt Lay, but it’s also where Lay was shot to death last month by Gerald Declan Radford, who goes by the nickname “Dec.”
When asked to describe her feelings about Radford’s arrest, Wolfley responded, “Relief.. like utter relief that finally justice is being served. “
Clue initially missed
Wolfley said Dec taunted Walt for months.
“He called him all kinds of gay slurs. I mean, he called him a (expletive) to my face,” Wolfley said.
Dec claimed self-defense, sending a text saying, “Walt attacked me.”
“I thought the self-defense was a bunch of bull to begin with because Walt was just not that type of person that would go up to someone and attack them for no reason,” Wolfley said.
Investigators initially had little to go on since there was no video or direct eyewitness.
But shortly after Walt died, Wolfley realized he sent her a clue the day before… a video.
“Well, I didn’t watch it at first because he would sometimes do regular video messages, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Wolfley said.
“On that video is the victim basically taking a selfie video of himself indicating ‘you’re going to die,’ and he’s making reference to the shooter,” said Col. Frank Loset of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
“This morning, while I'm walking, we’re the only two people here, and he comes up to me and screams at me, you’re going to die. You're gonna die,” Walt said in that video he sent to Wolfley.
“Once I saw the video, I was like, oh my God,” Wolfley said.
Video and witness statements strengthened case
We tried to talk to Radford about the shooting days after it happened, but he declined to discuss it.
“When I can, I will,” Radford said. “Thank you for being considerate.”
Prosecutors credit the video and witness statements with their decision to charge Radford with second-degree murder and seek a hate crime enhancement.
In the month after the shooting, the I-Team ran multiple stories sharing witness accounts of Dec taunting Walt for being gay.
“I felt like at the time that nothing was being done,” Wolfley said.
“The homicide detectives only have one chance to put together a very thorough and efficient investigation, so they take their time, and they’re very methodical,” Loset said.
“We fought for Walt”
Wolfley provided us with a photo showing a weekend celebration among Walt’s friends, who believe their friend may finally get justice.
“We were able to show the world that we fought for Walt. And we will continue to fight for Walt even through the trial,” Wolfley said.
Radford has pleaded “not guilty” and is currently being held at the Hillsborough County Jail.
He has a body hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
If you have a story you’d like the I-Team to investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com
