A man is dead, but suspect says he’s the victim

A man charged with murder told investigators he didn’t fire the shots that killed Melquisedec “Tito” Betancourt, but arrest records show the evidence may indicate otherwise.

Three shell casings were found on the ground outside the passenger side of the vehicle, where Betancourt, 32, was found in the driver’s seat around 1:40 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest affidavit. His injuries, the affidavit pointed out, were not self-inflicted.

The vehicle was found in a parking lot behind a business in the 7400 block of Tamiami Trial on Thursday afternoon. As Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrived at the scene, witnesses said they saw a man run north down the busy street, according to the sheriff’s office.

Karrie Lee Sanderson, 36, was arrested outside the Bearded Clam Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar, 7150 N. Tamiami Trail, about 45 minutes after the shooting, officials said Thursday. Restaurant officials told the Bradenton Herald on Thursday that Sanderson ordered drinks and paid before walking outside as a deputy pulled up and took him into custody.

Sanderson admitted to investigators he was in the vehicle with Betancourt, but did not say he fired a weapon or ran away with one, according to the affidavit. Betancourt and Sanderson were acquaintances, officials said.

He did, however, tell officials he was a victim, saying Betancourt had beaten him. Sanderson went on to say he was in the passenger side of the vehicle while Betancourt was in the driver’s seat, but no one else was around, according to the affidavit.

A shot was fired. Then Sanderson told Betancourt, “You will have to shoot me in the back,” before he got out of the car, Sanderson told investigators.

Sanderson said he ran from the car as more shots were fired, according to the affidavit.

Sanderson identified a gun found near the scene as one that Betancourt had at the time.

Investigators pointed out to Sanderson he was the only one who could have fired the weapon because Betancourt was dead in the vehicle, the affidavit stated. Betancourt’s injuries were “clearly not self-inflicted,” and his death is the “result of Sanderson firing the weapon at Betancourt.”

Sanderson is charged with second-degree murder and is being held at the Manatee County jail without bond, jail records show.

Thursday afternoon, officials searched a home in the 300 block of Mendez Drive, less than a mile away from where the vehicle was found. Detectives with the Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit who were at the scene where Betancourt’s body was found were later outside the home on Mendez.

Dave Bristow, spokesman for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed they were searching a nearby home “we think might tie into all this,” but the address of the home that was searched has not yet been released.

Robert “Bob” Zaret, the owner of the home, told the Herald on Thursday he was home at the time of the shooting, as were his two tenants, one of whom is Sanderson, and Sanderson’s girlfriend. Zaret said there was “fist-fighting and shooting” earlier that morning between Sanderson and a friend of his who came over.

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 2:13 PM with the headline "A man is dead, but suspect says he’s the victim."