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Grand Jury Indicts Tiller Murder Suspects

17-YEAR-OLD TO BE TRIEDAS AN ADULT

Courtesy photos

SANDERS, GERALD; MEZIE, NICHOLAS;GRAHAM, JOSEPH

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By Dan  Fearson | Highlands Today

Published: February 5, 2008

SEBRING — A Highlands County grand jury formally indicted three suspects on murder charges Tuesday morning in connection to the November 2007 shooting of Samuel Tiller.

Gerald Sanders, 18, of 243 Mandy Circle, Sebring; Joseph Graham, 18, of 3806 Leeway Court, Sebring; and Nick Mezie, 17, formerly of Sebring, were indicted on charges of first-degree murder and armed burglary.

All three suspects were arrested in January and charged with Tiller's murder; however, in Florida, all capital murder cases have to go before a grand jury so that suspects can be formally indicted.

Graham and Sanders have been held without bond in the Highlands County Jail since their arrest.
On Tuesday, Assistant State Attorney Steve Houchin said that Mezie was being held at a juvenile detention facility in Polk County and that he was going to be transported to the county jail immediately. Prosecutors are going to try Mezie as an adult.

Houchin said that he expects the suspects to appear in court for their arraignments within the next four weeks.

Tiller, 82, was found on the floor of his Falcon Avenue home with an apparent gun shot wound. His shooting death appears to be a burglary gone awry, according to police.

Arrest reports provided by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office state that one of the suspects allegedly used the window opening to gain access to Tiller's home, opening up the front door of the residence to the other two suspects.

Reports state that after the suspects gained access to Tiller's home, Mezie and Sanders began to rummage through cabinets, while Graham began to rummage through Tiller's television stand cabinet.

Reports state that the suspects startled Tiller, at which time Graham allegedly shot and killed him. The reports state that the suspects left the scene of the shooting without providing any aid or calling for assistance after the shooting took place.

Reports indicate that Graham reportedly admitted twice to investigators to shooting Tiller. They also indicate that a fingerprint was lifted from a bed headboard which matched Sanders.

In a recorded conversation with investigators, Mezie reportedly admitted to participating in the planning of the burglary, his involvement in the actual burglary, and parking Graham's car during the crime.

Graham and Sanders were enrolled as students at Sebring High School prior to Tiller's shooting. Mezie was living in West Palm Beach.

Prior to the murder of Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Sottile in January 2007, the Highlands County Courthouse had not had grand jury deliberations in two years.

Since Joshua Lee Altersberger, of Sebring was indicted on a murder charge in connection to Sottile's death on Feb. 5, 2007, there have been four grand jury sessions.

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