Posted on 04/25/2009 6:48:33 PM PDT by Chet 99
81-year-old accused in killing
By Erin Sullivan, Times Staff Writer
Published Saturday, April 25, 2009
SHADY HILLS — The man was shirtless, belly to the sun, near a patch of purple wildflowers. He laid where he fell, splayed, just before 1 p.m. Saturday, between the road and his neighbor's chain-link fence.
Seth Sigmon, 29, lived on the dead-end side of Connie Court in Shady Hills. Neighbors say he has a son and that his wife was getting out of the shower when he was slain.
Authorities say his next-door neighbor, 81-year-old John Croft, shot Sigmon multiple times with a .22 revolver.
"The old man didn't seem the type to go off the handle," said Doyle Young, 68, who lives down the road. None of the neighbors referred to Croft by his name, just as "the old man."
"But when you get mad, in those first few seconds, people can make some terrible decisions," Young said.
Young said he heard they were arguing about some neighborhood children; playing, maybe running a bit wild and loud. He said Croft's wife is disabled, "basically an invalid." Young saw Croft about 30 minutes before the shooting. They were up at the corner of U.S. 41 and Bowman Road, on a grassy area that residents use for a communal yard sale.
Young was at the intersection selling "some junk" when Croft stopped by, but minutes later he said he had to go home to take care of his wife.
Young packed up and came home to a bustling crime scene.
"For the old man to shoot someone," Young said, "he must have gone off the deep end."
Julie Mathis, 66, said she knew Croft had a quick temper but never foresaw something like this.
"I just can't believe it," said Mathis, who has lived in this northern Pasco County neighborhood for more than two decades.
She said trouble has been brewing for some time. She said Sigmon's pit bull got loose one day, went into Croft's yard and killed his three pet goats.
"It was terrible," she said.
Both men's homes are set back from the road and surrounded by fences. Croft's home is white with a lattice front porch and an American flag swaying from the roof. Sigmon's home is owned by his parents, according to property records. A group of people who said they were colleagues of Sigmon's hovered near the crime scene tape, but declined to comment for this story.
Neither man had much of a criminal record in Florida before Saturday. Sigmon was arrested in Tampa in 2001 for driving under the influence with property damage and then in 2002, for violating his probation.
Croft's only arrest was in Hillsborough County in 1984 for disorderly conduct.
Croft is a registered Republican. Sigmon is a Democrat.
As the afternoon wore on, Croft sat handcuffed in the back of a patrol car, waiting to be taken to the Land O'Lakes jail. He is charged with manslaughter.
With the patrol car parked in Sigmon's driveway, Croft — balding with a white wispy fringe — could see his neighbor's body, covered and uncovered with a white sheet, as a forensic team took photos.
The old man put his hands over his face.
Erin Sullivan can be reached at esullivan@sptimes.com.
She said trouble has been brewing for some time. She said Sigmon's pit bull got loose one day, went into Croft's yard and killed his three pet goats.
Croft is a registered Republican. Sigmon is a Democrat.
Not enough information.
Did the younger guy attack the old man?
Typical liberal reporter not only doesn’t answer this in the story - but can’t even think of the question.
NOT GUILTY.
Not really that funny.
“Croft is a registered Republican. Sigmon is a Democrat.”
Uhh, what does this have to do with anything?
Uhh, yeah, I know, media bias.
Sounds like a scene out of “Gran Torino”.
I was wondering what that had to do with the story? What now if the shooter is in the minority party the party will be listed? Can we compare how many democratic gang members there are compared to republican ones?
I did find the mention of the victims “Colleagues” to be an interesting term to use. Makes me wonder if we’re talking about gang bangers.
“Croft is a registered Republican. Sigmon is a Democrat”
I don’t think I have EVER seen THIS in a crime article. Does ANYONE see the relevance? I DO see an agenda.
NOT GUILTY.
“I was in fear of loss of my life.”,,,
“I only fired to stop him.”,,,
Next Case!!!
They’re just trying to point out that the Republican, if convicted of a felony, can’t vote.
Whereas the dead ‘democrat’ still can.
One less pit bull owner to worry about. Probably saved the life of a child.
A higher caliber weapon will usually have more kick and women and the elderly will find their arm knocked out of alignment so they'll have to "retarget".
You don't want to be in a position where you have to keep retargeting your weapon to stop an assailant.
Weird writing. All imagery and no facts, no story. After reading it twice, I still have no idea what happened concerning the shooting but I do know about a flag a disable wife a pit bull and some goats. Junk? Shower? Republican? Shirtless?
Really odd reporting
Why was this information in the story except for propaganda purposes. If his (typically) insane pitbull killed my pets I would probably do the same thing.
Odd how people always say .22’s have no stopping power. I read stroies in the NRA magazine and it is usually a grandpa or ma with a break in perp. The perp coerners them or beats them then ma or pa finds their old .22 pistol and the perp ends up dead.
This is a sad story. I hope the old man does not go to jail. He just wanted to be left alone to live in peace.
" A group of people who said they were colleagues of Sigmon's hovered near the crime scene tape,..."
I wonder what these kids is journalism school will be doing when dozens of newspapers die this year thanks to Obama’s Depression. They will be begging for burger flipping jobs.
You are absolutely right. Too many “Creative Writing” courses. When I read a news story, I don’t want creative writing. I want to know what happened without wading through a bunch of garbage about flower colors and showers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.