On May 13, 1988, Thomas Anthony Wyatt and Michael Lovette escaped from a prison work crew in North Carolina and fled to Florida.
In Jacksonville, Florida, they stole a car and drove to Vero Beach. Inside the stolen car, Wyatt and Lovette found a .38 caliber handgun.
On May 17, 1988, the two men checked into a hotel under assumed names and began drinking at a local bar. They then stopped at a Domino’s Pizza restaurant to commit a robbery.
Upon entering the restaurant, Wyatt ushered two of the employees, Frances Edwards and Michael Bornoosh, into the bathroom.
He took the manager, William Edwards (Frances’ husband), into the office to open the time-delayed safe. After obtaining the money from the safe, Wyatt raped Frances Edwards and shot all three employees.
Medical examiners reports indicated that each of the three victims had been fatally shot and that the seminal fluid found in the Frances Edwards’ body matched DNA samples taken from Thomas Wyatt.
Following the Domino’s robbery, Wyatt and Lovette drove west. Before reaching Tampa, the car they had stolen overheated. Wyatt and Lovette set the car on fire and hitched a ride to Tampa.
While drinking at a bar in Tampa, Wyatt met the fourth victim, Cathy Nydegger. Towards the end of the night, Wyatt and Nydegger were seen leaving the bar together. Shortly after they left, Wyatt returned to the bar. He spoke to Lovette briefly and then both men left the bar.
The following day Cathy Nydegger’s body was found along the side of a road in Indian River County. She had been fatally shot in the head.
Wyatt then checked into a motel in Clearwater using an alias. He was driving Nydegger’s car. While at the motel, Wyatt met Freddie Fox. Wyatt gave Fox his gun and some bullets. Ballistics reports indicated that the gun given to Fox matched the rifling characteristics of the gun and bullets used to kill Nydegger.
Michael Lovette returned to Statesville, North Carolina, where he surrendered to the police. Lovette confessed to police his part in the crime spree, telling police that he was not the trigger man in any of the murders.
Tommy Wyatt was arrested in South Carolina on an unrelated charge. While in jail, Wyatt confessed to the murders to inmate Patrick McCoombs. At trial, McCoombs testified against Wyatt.
In Jacksonville, Florida, they stole a car and drove to Vero Beach. Inside the stolen car, Wyatt and Lovette found a .38 caliber handgun.
On May 17, 1988, the two men checked into a hotel under assumed names and began drinking at a local bar. They then stopped at a Domino’s Pizza restaurant to commit a robbery.
Upon entering the restaurant, Wyatt ushered two of the employees, Frances Edwards and Michael Bornoosh, into the bathroom.
He took the manager, William Edwards (Frances’ husband), into the office to open the time-delayed safe. After obtaining the money from the safe, Wyatt raped Frances Edwards and shot all three employees.
Medical examiners reports indicated that each of the three victims had been fatally shot and that the seminal fluid found in the Frances Edwards’ body matched DNA samples taken from Thomas Wyatt.
Following the Domino’s robbery, Wyatt and Lovette drove west. Before reaching Tampa, the car they had stolen overheated. Wyatt and Lovette set the car on fire and hitched a ride to Tampa.
While drinking at a bar in Tampa, Wyatt met the fourth victim, Cathy Nydegger. Towards the end of the night, Wyatt and Nydegger were seen leaving the bar together. Shortly after they left, Wyatt returned to the bar. He spoke to Lovette briefly and then both men left the bar.
The following day Cathy Nydegger’s body was found along the side of a road in Indian River County. She had been fatally shot in the head.
Wyatt then checked into a motel in Clearwater using an alias. He was driving Nydegger’s car. While at the motel, Wyatt met Freddie Fox. Wyatt gave Fox his gun and some bullets. Ballistics reports indicated that the gun given to Fox matched the rifling characteristics of the gun and bullets used to kill Nydegger.
Michael Lovette returned to Statesville, North Carolina, where he surrendered to the police. Lovette confessed to police his part in the crime spree, telling police that he was not the trigger man in any of the murders.
Tommy Wyatt was arrested in South Carolina on an unrelated charge. While in jail, Wyatt confessed to the murders to inmate Patrick McCoombs. At trial, McCoombs testified against Wyatt.
