Myakka City, Florida

From the Bradenton Herald of May 29, 2005

Sarasota man in love triangle killed

A man told authorities he shot and killed his girlfriend's ex-husband Saturday in self-defense.

James A. Towns, 47, called the sheriff's office and told them what he'd done at 12:16 p.m. - moments after the shooting took place.

"The caller advised that he had shot a man and that he was dead," a release from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office stated. "The caller stayed on the phone until deputies arrived and he was cooperative. The victim and the suspect have a history of violence."

A Manatee County ambulance followed a dirt pathway winding past a set of pine trees to a house, nestled deep in Myakka City's countryside along the 14000 block of Sugarbowl Road. As paramedics recovered the body of 41-year-old Frederick C. Lehnert of Sarasota, which lay inside the house, detectives worked to piece together the story behind Saturday's fatal shooting.

"They knew each other," Manatee County sheriff's Capt. Dennis Dummer said as he stood watch outside the property.

"It was an ongoing feud."

Towns was questioned, but not taken into custody Saturday.

Because the shooting seems to have been in self-defense, as of Saturday night, the state attorney's office did not file any charge against Towns pending further investigation, the release stated.

Authorities say the two men were acquaintances. At one point, Lehnert was married to the woman, who is now dating Towns, Manatee County sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow said. Lehnert and the woman separated or divorced.

"There'd been some threats made by the victim (Lehnert) in the last couple of days, according to the shooter," Bristow said, adding that the two may have argued over the woman when Lehnert went to Towns' house Saturday. "They exchanged words, then he took a few steps towards the shooter."

Lehnert was holding a beer bottle when he tried to attack Towns, authorities said. That's when Towns fired his shotgun at close range, killing Lehnert.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.