The Murder of Anthony Lee
For this case I watched an episode of Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen. It’s season 2 episode 2, titled ‘Wrong Place, Deadly Time.’
A popular drag queen performer is killed at a friend’s house.
Background
Anthony Lee
Anthony Lee was 49 years old at the time of his death. He had many sides to him, one was a nice, kind and loyal person. The other was his alter ego, a drag queen named ‘South Beach Wanda,’ a sharped tongue comedian.
Many of Anthony’s friends said he loved to perform, but that his act got him into a lot of hot water. He was banned from performing in the 90’s, but found a way to always make his loved ones smile and laugh.
The Murder
On May 28, 2013, Anthony started his day by volunteering at the Wilson Funeral Home, something he had been doing since he was a teenager. After his shift, he went to his friend Tiffany’s to cook her dinner.
Tiffany was a single mom of two, and one of Anthony’s closest friends. Anthony often helped her out when she got overwhelmed.
Around 5pm, Anthony was cooking dinner, when there was a knock at the door. Anthony answered it, and suddenly there was shouting. Tiffany had been in the bathroom at the time, and she called 911. She told the dispatcher that she was hiding in her bathroom, and that there was a robbery. While she was on the phone, she heard gunshots. She begged the dispatcher to send the police.
Tiffany waited in the bathroom for quite sometime, until she heard her daughter and grandma come into the home. They all found Anthony laying on the kitchen floor, he had been shot multiple times, but was still alive. They again called the police, and paramedics arrived within minutes.
The Investigation
The police also arrived, and Anthony was rushed to Tampa General Hospital. Tiffany was also taken to the hospital because she was in shock.
There were no signs of forced entry, but robbery was the police’s first theory. Anthony had been shot six times in the kitchen, by a .9mm gun. The crime scene investigators used metal trajectory rods, and determined that Anthony had been shot near the bedroom door. The shell casings had been left behind, but the police didn’t find a murder weapon.
The police then interviewed Tiffany’s neighbors, who said that they saw a man running to a black sports car after the shooting. They described him as a black male, thin build, 5’7”, wearing a white shirt and jean shorts, with twists in his hair. They also said that the black car had been parked near Tiffany’s home earlier in the day too.
Another neighbor told the police that just before the shooting, he saw the black car stop to ask a woman for directions. The police suddenly had to re-think their robbery theory.
On May 29, around 6pm, the police received information that Anthony had succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
South Beach Wanda
The police didn’t know whether Anthony or Tiffany was the intended target, so they wanted to look into both of their backgrounds.
The police spoke to Anthony’s sister Barbara, and she revealed that her brother was a drag performer named Wanda. Wanda was known for her Whitney Houston impersonation, and her abrasive humor.
Barbara said that Anthony upset a lot of people during his acts, and that someone could have wanted to hurt him. Anthony’s friends all said the same, and that they weren’t surprised by his violent death.
In March 1998, a flyer circulated called ‘the Wanda issue,’ banning Wanda from performing in the clubs.
The police didn’t have any evidence that Anthony was killed because of his performances, but it was a lead that they needed to come back to.
Remembering Wanda
Tiffany’s Past
After Tiffany was released from the hospital, they went to speak to her. They asked her if she remembered seeing or hearing anything. She said yes, that she heard the man asking for money. The police asked her if anything went missing, and she said he took her purse and laptop. Tiffany also told the police that she saw a man in her driveway hours before the murder, and her description matched the neighbor’s descriptions of the shooter.
The police now believed Tiffany had actually been the intended target, and they looked into her background. Tiffany had a criminal background, she had prior convictions for manslaughter and tax fraud. Tiffany’s known associates also were involved in fraud.
The Black Sports Car
During the investigation, a neighbor of Tiffany’s named Travis Harris came forward. He told the police that he had driven past Tiffany’s house when he heard the gunshots. He then made the decision to follow the car after they left. He followed the car on the highway, and drove to a town called Lakeland, a half in hour away from Tampa. Travis also told the police that he wrote down the license plate number.
The car was registered to a 25 year old woman named Ebony Forte. The police brought her in for questioning. She said she let her friend Kurt borrow her car to run errands, but had no idea that he had gone to Tampa.
Next, the police brought Kurt in. He told the police that he had taken a man named ‘Smooth’ to Tampa, and that he was paid $200 to give him a ride. Neither Ebony or Kurt knew Smooth’s real name. Kurt also told the police that he and Smooth had stopped by Smooth’s ex-girlfriend Candace’s house to ask for directions.
Kurt said that they went to the house earlier in the day, and knocked, but no one answered. Kurt said they then went back, and that Smooth was in the house for three minutes. Kurt said that they then drove back to Lakeland, and that Smooth tossed the gun on the highway.
The Real Motive
The police tracked down Candace, asking what Smooth’s real name was. Candace said she didn’t know, which I found weird considering they dated. The police also discovered that Candace was Tiffany’s cousin, which was only relevant because Candace knew where Tiffany lived.
The police couldn’t find Smooth’s real name in their database, so Det. Rachel Cholnik decided to use Facebook. Sure enough, she was able to find who Smooth was. Smooth was 23 year old Deandre ‘Dre’ Tolliver. He also matched the description of the shooter. He was also identified by Candace and Kurt.
The police obtained an arrest warrant for felony murder and robbery for Deandre. When the police went to his home, he wasn’t home, but he surprised them when he came into the police station. He said he knew they were looking for them, but denied being involved. He said he was at home the whole day with his family.
Dre eventually changed his story, and admitted that he went to the home to get money. It was revealed by Tiffany’s friends that Ebony, the woman who owned the black car, was friends with Tiffany until they had a falling out over money. Ebony believed that she was owed a cut of money that Tiffany had.
Dre went to Tiffany’s believing it was going to be an easy robbery. However, he was confronted by Anthony, a man he didn’t know. The police were able to determine that Dre went into Tiffany’s bedroom to look for the money, and that Anthony trapped him inside. Anthony’s wounds had wood embedded in them, and it was believed that Dre shot Anthony to escape from the room.
The murder weapon was never found.
Arrest and Conviction
On July 13, 2015, Deandre Tolliver went on trial. It was a very circumstantial case, but there were many eyewitnesses that saw Deandre going in and out of Tiffany’s house with a gun.
He was convicted of first degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison.
Even though it’s believed that Ebony hired Deandre, she was never charged with anything.
Anthony’s sister Barbara confronted Deandre at trial, and said:
““Every morning I see my brother’s face,” “and I hope you do the same.””
Deandre Tolliver
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s so sad that a completely innocent man was murdered because he was at his friend’s house. I think Tiffany made mistakes in her life, but she was innocent too. She will probably be scarred for life after hearing her friend get shot, and seeing him covered in blood.
Anthony died because of some greedy people, and only one person was ever charged. At least Deandre will have to think about what he did everyday, while he’s rotting in prison.
Sources
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bust-florida-drag-queen-murder-article-1.1368181
