Details are still sketchy at press time but one man is dead and three are jailed in a shooting late Monday evening, March 28 that may have occurred over a $20 debt.

Dead is Jesse James Slone, 20, of 15467 US 129, McAlpin, according to the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. Slone was shot to death when he went to 5775 200th Street at about 8:45 p.m. Monday evening, according to the sheriff’s office.

At least two people who were at the scene, including the alleged shooter, fled the scene in a black or red Chevrolet Cavalier, according to reports filed by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in the case. Columbia County was notified of the shooting and began looking for the two men.

A Columbia County deputy spotted an orange Chevrolet Camaro near CR 252B and US 90 at about 1 a.m. The deputy, assisted by a second deputy, stopped the vehicle in the Travel Lodge parking lot on US 90 on a traffic violation where three men and a female were found inside. After checking with Suwannee County and getting additional backup on the scene, Columbia County found that the shooting suspect, Timothy Scott Thomas, 25, of 441 South (Ellisville), Lake City, was a passenger in that car. The four were ordered from the car, handcuffed and taken to the Columbia County Jail where interviews were conducted, leading to the arrest of the three men.

Arrested were Thomas, who is charged with homicide in Slone’s death; Robert Blackwell “Rocky” Radford, 25, 770 SW Old Wire Road, Lake City, charged with accessory to homicide; and James Mannon Hackworth Hall, 24, of 199 NW Benji Lane, Lake City, charged with accessory to homicide after the fact. All three were transported to Suwannee County where they were booked into the Suwannee County Jail on the charges without bond.

While reports are still being completed and evidence collected, it’s still unclear at press time exactly why the shooting occurred and how the $20 debt became an issue.

According to reports filed by Columbia County, Hall helped Thomas and Radford hide their vehicle, then went to Wal-Mart and purchased a cell phone for them, as well as obtained two Motel 6 rooms for them in his name and assisted Thomas and Radford with eluding law enforcement.

According to the reports, Columbia County authorities said Radford took the Lorcin .380 caliber gun allegedly used in the shooting and hid it underneath an air conditioning unit at his home in Columbia County.

A later report issued by Jeff Cameron, investigator for the SCSO said the murder occurred over a $20 debt owed Radford. The report went on to say that Radford phoned Edward Johnson who possibly lived at 5775 200th Street in Suwannee County and told him he was coming after his money that Johnson owed him and would get it one way or the other. At press time it was unclear why the man who was murdered was at 5775 200th Street in Suwannee County. The release by Sgt. Cameron said there were seven eye witnesses to the murder.

The investigation continues by the SCSO.