Manuel Escobar, 32, of Bradenton, Florida, was found dead in the trunk of a car at Palmetto Estuary Nature Preserve on August 25, 2024. Palmetto police officers on patrol discovered the body around 2 a.m.; the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says Escobar had multiple gunshot wounds and that the shooting occurred elsewhere, in the 2800 block of 5th Street East in Bradenton. After the shooting, Escobar’s body was moved and left in an abandoned vehicle at the park.

Investigators tied the killing to an argument over money following a pre-arranged meeting and transaction involving Escobar and two others, 25-year-old Freddy Sandoval and 20-year-old Idus Murkerson. Detectives developed probable cause to arrest Sandoval, and an arrest warrant was issued for Murkerson; Murkerson was later taken into custody by the Florida Highway Patrol in Santa Rosa County. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office described the event as an isolated incident.

Does anyone have information about the 2800 block of 5th Street East or the meeting that led to this argument?