Devontae Lawson

On the afternoon of Thursday, March 9, 2023, police in St. Petersburg, Florida, were called to an alleyway in the 4500 block of 21st Avenue South. At around 3:30 p.m., officers arrived and discovered the body of Devontae Lawson, a 45-year-old Black man. An investigation into his death began immediately.

Detectives determined that earlier that day, Lawson had met with a man named Tyrone Anthony Walker. The two men had an argument that escalated tragically. Police stated that during the dispute, Walker shot and killed Lawson. Afterward, Walker allegedly moved Lawson’s body to the alley where he was later found.

The investigation led St. Petersburg police detectives to identify Walker, then 41, as the suspect in Lawson’s death. Investigators were able to track him to the nearby city of Tampa. Just two days after Lawson’s body was discovered, the case saw a major development.

On Saturday, March 11, 2023, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department, detectives located and arrested Tyrone Walker. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. As of March 2023, the case was proceeding through the judicial system.