Lauderhill, Florida

From the Miami Herald of June 20, 2005
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One man slain, one injured at apartment

A Lauderhill man told police Sunday he shot one man to death and wounded a second after they tried to break into his apartment.

Eddie Nelson, 58, told Broward Sheriff's Office investigators he was sitting in his apartment in The Villas at 2201 NW 55th Way about 2:15 p.m. Sunday when two men tried to break in through the rear sliding glass door. Nelson told BSO he grabbed a pistol, and when the alleged burglars pointed something at him, he opened fire.

One of the wounded men stumbled into the street for about 50 yards before he collapsed and died in the 2300 block of Northwest 56th Avenue, according to BSO. The other man was found in The Villas and taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. His condition was not available late Sunday.

BSO did not release the name of the hospital where the man was treated.

The two men who were shot had not been identified late Sunday.

BSO and Lauderhill police detectives are investigating the shooting. No charges had been filed in the case late Sunday.

From the Miami Herald of June 24, 2005
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Buglary suspect charged in death

Broward Sheriff's Office homicide detectives said they have charged a Sunrise man with murder in the death of his partner in crime during a burglary in Lauderhill earlier this week.

Mark Anthony Dyer, 26, of 2330 NW 89th Ave. was charged under Florida laws that allow a person who commits certain crimes to be charged with murder if, during the commission of those crimes, another person is killed.

Dyer is being held in Broward County Jail without bail.

Dyer's case did not appear to be affected by a decision by the Florida Supreme Court Thursday limiting use of Florida's felony-murder statute in certain cases.

According to investigators, Dyer and 25-year-old Troy Fyffe crept up to the back of a unit in The Villas apartments on

Northwest 55th Way in Lauderhill on June 19. The two started prying open a sliding glass door leading to a bedroom in the apartment of 58-year old Eddie Nelson, officials said.

Investigators gave this account:

Nelson, who had just returned home, heard noises and yelled to scare the intruders, but Dyer and Fyffe continued to work the door. Nelson yelled again, and warned that he had a gun.

When Nelson saw one of them point what appeared to be a gun, Nelson fired four rounds from a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Three of the bullets struck Fyffe and one hit Dyer.

Fyffe collapsed and died near the entrance to a nearby apartment. Dyer was captured.

Nelson was not charged.