Bradenton man held without bond on first-degree murder charges
BRADENTON -- Dwayne Cummings was ordered held without bond Thursday after refusing to appear before a judge to face first-degree murder charges.
On Wednesday, a grand jury indictment charged Cummings, 38, with two counts of first-degree murder, armed kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Cummings could be sentenced to death or life in prison.
Cummings is accused of kidnapping Karl John Tuxford, 38, and Jordan Finlon, 23, and shooting him five times and stabbing her more than 30 times in revenge for the two stealing money from his home.
Days earlier, Cummings reported the burglary to the Bradenton Police Department.
Tuxford's body was discovered Jan. 19 after police responded to the 1100 block of Eighth Avenue East after numerous reports of gunfire. Less than an hour later, two motorists called the Manatee County Sheriff's Office when they spotted Finlon's body on the side of Bishop Harbor Road in northwestern Manatee County.
The two were a couple, family members told detectives.
Deputies told Circuit Judge Deno Economou that Cummings refused to appear Thursday. Without any discussion, Economou said Cumming would continue to be held without bond based on the indictment.
A second man, Fredrick Douglas, 43, was initially a suspect, too. After being arrested on unrelated charges and questioned, the sheriff's office says he is not facing any murder-related charges.
Detectives believe a third person is possibly involved. The investigation is ongoing.
Cummings is also charged with violation of probation for a Sarasota case that includes nine armed kidnapping convictions.
He was released from a Florida prison in 2013 after serving nearly 16 years for those convictions and armed robbery, grand theft auto and burglary of an unoccupied structure.
Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.
This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 11:31 PM with the headline "Bradenton man held without bond on first-degree murder charges ."