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Suspect committed more crimes after Palm Bay slayings

Lamaur Stancil
Florida Today

Police said Saturday they still don't know why a felon shot and killed two men on a street in the northeast corner of Palm Bay on Friday.

Police identified the two who were killed as Joshua Andrew Wadlington, 27, and Michael Jared Landon, 38.

Officers described Derrick Jamal Flowers, 31, as being in a rage when he fired the shots in the 2500 block of Vernon Street.

Derrick Flowers

He then  fled west in a black Chevrolet Tahoe to Polk County, where he was apprehended by authorities about five hours after the 5:20 p.m. homicide.

And before he was apprehended, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said a good Samaritan had a scary encounter with Flowers. Sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilder said Flowers had stopped his car in Polk because it may have run out of gas. When another motorist stopped to help, Flowers hopped into the passenger seat of the man's car without permission, Wilder said.

The motorist drove to a Family Dollar in Frostproof and found two Polk deputies. Flowers stepped out of the car with his hands raised and surrendered to the deputies.

Palm Bay police had notified agencies across the state about the manhunt for Flowers, which meant the deputies recognized him. Flowers also had blood on his T-shirt.

Palm Bay police recovered the Tahoe.

Flowers has several charges against him in both Brevard and Polk counties. He faces a pair of first-degree murder charges in Brevard, along with possession of a firearm by a felon and attempted murder. No information was available Saturday about the probable cause for the attempted murder charge.

For hopping in the car and touching the driver without permission, Flowers was charged with burglary of a conveyance with battery. Polk County deputies also found several drugs in his pockets, leading to charges of possession of cocaine, hydromorphone, cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

Flowers remained at the Polk County Jail without bail Saturday.

Suspect in custody in Palm Bay double homicide

In Palm Bay, dozens of people surrounded the crime scene Friday night as officers collected evidence from the street and some of the front yards. On the outskirts of the tape stood Landon's uncle, James Woodbury, 59, and some of the dead man's siblings.

"He was a good, hard-working dude," Woodbury said about his nephew, who was a landscaper. "He could fix anything, and he was very respectful."

Landon was the father of a 3-year-old girl, who some neighbors said they fondly recall seeing the father and daughter walking through the neighborhood.

Some of Wadlington's relatives were at  the scene as well, but did not comment.

In 2010, authorities in Duval County charged Flowers with false imprisonment, according to the Department of Corrections. He was admitted into prison in 2014, served two years for the crime and was released in March 2016.

Detectives are still trying to determine the motive in the case. Anyone with information can call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).