65. VCSO: Man murdered in Osteen may be linked to drug growing operation

Osteem murder location / Hedline SurferA killing in Osteen may be connected to drug growing operating on Trotting Trail as shown in this locator map.

OSTEEN -- A body found in a wooded area of Osteen in April was later identified as 34-year-old Lester Bermudez-Garcia, who was murdered, the Volusia County Sheriff's office confirmed May 2.

The slaying comes in at No. 65 in Headline Surfer's countdown of the top 100 local stories of 2012.

Deputies had been looking for Bermudez-Garcia for a week, after receiving a report late at night on April 25, that the victim and a second man may have been injured in an altercation somewhere in the Osteen area, agency spokesmn Gary Davidson said.

"Deputies looked for the two that night, but couldn’t find them or any sign of an altercation," Davidson said. "During the search, the second man called an acquaintance to say that he was O.K., but he refused to disclose his location or stay on the phone. Still uncertain whether anyone was injured or if a crime had occurred, the Sheriff’s Office’s Deltona headquarters mounted a large search the next day, with numerous deputies and investigators looking for the two and even going house-to-house to see if anyone knew, saw or heard anything."

The investigation led the Sheriff’s Office to a home on Trotting Trail in Osteen. They didn’t find any sign of the two men there. But in a barn on the property, deputies did discover about 190 pounds of home-grown marijuana that was in the process of being harvested. Investigators eventually tracked down the second man, but they didn’t know what had happened to Bermudez-Garcia, when a man’s body was found the night of April 30 in the woods, estimated to be between 1 to 2 miles from the marijuana grow operation on Trotting Trail, Davidson said.

"They suspected it was Bermudez-Garcia, who lived in Hialeah, but didn’t know for sure until his body as discovered," the Sheriff's spokesman said. "And an autopsy by the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that he was murdered. Due to the ongoing investigation, the cause of death wasn't released. Investigators, however, believe that the murder and the drug activity at the property on Trotting Trail are connected."

Top 100 Countdown Recap:

65. VCSO: Man murdered in Osteen may be linked to drug growing operation
66. Circuit judge: Death sentence stands for Deltona Xbox mass murderer
67. Murderous rampage: Port Orange man kills own son and a camper at RV park in Deerfield Beach before killing himself
68. Alleged New Smyrna Beach serial arsonist nabbed by Volusia County Sheriff's investigators
69. Feds: NSB man gets 12 years in prison for kiddie porn
70. NASCAR promotes management talent into senior ranks
71. Deputy shoots and kills DeLeon Springs man after rifle pointed at him while trying to serve warrant
72. Bike Week body paint model at Cabbage Patch outside NSB strikes a pose
73. Palm Coast man gets sentence of at least 25 years in prison for robbing Ormond Beach pharmacy of painkillers
74. Edgewater police chief relieved accused killer who dumped bodies here captured
75. Port Orange man dies in fire; blaze contained to victim's apartment
76. Santa brings toys for tots to NSB via train
77. Ocassional NSB resident Johnny Damon signs with Cleveland Indians
78. NSBHS students of driving age learn importance of organ donation
79. Edgewater man killed after being struck by train while throwing rocks at it
80. County Council breaks bread with Daytona Area Chamber of Commerce
81. Body of 55-year-old DeBary man found in charred remains of home
82. Crossdresser rebuffed in trying to rob Deltona pharmacy of pills
83. Deltona pit bull 'Snoopy' back home
84. Ormond Beach cops: Man driving upwards of 150 mph in Lamborghini killed on US 1
85. NSB cops: Motorist arrested on fourth DUI charge
86. Postal truck becomes engulfed in flames in Edgewater, but mail salvaged
87. New Smyrna Beach Finance Dept. wins national award
88. Sad irony: Elderly man drowns in river named for death
89. NSB Fire Chief Dave McAllister among community award winners by Volusia League of Cities
90. Unlicensed 17-year-old Orange City boy runs over and kills 84-year-old woman in Deltona shopping plaza
91. NSB City Clerk Johnny Bledsoe gets new contract; 20 weeks compensation if canned
92. Votran bus operator drives 2 million miles on Volusia County roads without an accident
93. Jason McGuirk gets Jim Hathaway's seat on NSB commission
94. Holly Hill woman calls in bomb threat at work forcing evacuation of 300; tells cops she was bored
95. Sheriff holds open house in Oak Hill six months after taking over law enforcement duties
96. Audio: Cop pursuit in New Smyrna Beach with speeds clocked at 100 mph-plus ends with stop sticks
97. Ponce Inlet Councilman Joseph Perrone holds onto his seat by one vote
98. Edgewater's Tia McDonald featured in book while visiting Australia
99. Gene Emter wins Edgewater City Council seat by 12-vote margin in special election Link: http://headlinesurfer.com/content/410884-99-gene-emter-wins-edgewater-city-council-seat-12-vote-margin-special-election
100. Chip Ganassi cars finish 1-2 in Rolex at Daytona
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