Michael A. Dayton, 41, was shot in the early morning hours of March 29, 2015, on the 1400 block of 52nd Street South in Gulfport, Florida. Officers found him with gunshot wounds; he was conscious at the scene and taken to Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, where he died that morning. Reports say Dayton was on probation for a prior robbery with a deadly weapon conviction and that the encounter occurred while he was attempting to purchase crack cocaine.

Investigators released a composite sketch of a person of interest described as a dark-skinned black male in his 30s, thin build, short hair, with a pronounced underbite. Physical evidence and witness statements later tied Jeffrey Stephens, 25, to the crime; Stephens was already incarcerated on unrelated charges when authorities arrested him and charged him with Dayton’s murder.

Anyone with information about the shooting or who can help identify people seen in the area that morning is asked to contact the Gulfport Police Department.