Tampa man confesses to beating man to death with tire iron in ‘heinous,’ ‘random’ attack, police say

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — The Clearwater Police Department said it has arrested one of two suspects in a murder involving a body found Friday morning.

Police said at around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Jeffrey Chapman, 49, was found dead on Mandalay Avenue.

Deputy Chief Michael Walek said Chapman showed signs of blunt trauma to the upper body.

During a Saturday press conference, the deputy chief said the victim was beaten to death with a tire iron, being hit over 10 times.

“This case was very heinous and very violent,” he said.

Walek said one suspect has been taken into custody: 26-year-old Jermaine Adrian Bennett of Tampa. Clearwater police and Pasco County deputies arrested Bennett while he was at work in Wesley Chapel.

After his arrest, the suspect confessed to the crime, according to the deputy chief.

“During the interview, [Bennett] showed no remorse for the killing,” he said.

The deputy chief told reporters that the murder was a random attack.

“It was a chance encounter that turned deadly while the victim was simply trying to ride his bike home,” Walek said.

Bennett told police that there was no reason for attacking Chapman and did so because “the ills of society” got to him.

“He even said, in fact, that he’d been waiting all day for us to show up — went right to work shortly after doing this, no remorse at all,” Walek said.

While Bennet was the one who killed Chapman with the tire iron, police said there was a second man that was involved in the murder.

Walek did not identify the at-large suspect but described him as a slender-built man standing over 6 feet tall. Walek said the suspect must turn himself in.

“It’s only a matter of time before we get you,” he said.

The deputy chief also said it is believed that Bennett and his accomplice may have been involved in a similar incident in St. Petersburg that happened around an hour before Chapman was killed. The victim in that incident is still alive, according to police, and the situation is still under investigation.

Walek said Bennett will be charged with first-degree murder for Chapman’s death. The second suspect’s charges will depend on his level of involvement.