NewsPalm Beach CountyRegion C Palm Beach County

Actions

FBI, U.S. Marshals involved in capture of Palm Beach County murder, arson suspects

Posted at 4:56 PM, May 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-16 17:05:15-04

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Three fugitives are now under arrest, accused of murdering a man and burning his body in the trunk of a car in Palm Beach County.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a car fire around 11:55 p.m. on May 4 in the 43000 block of Old U.S. Highway 27.

Deputies said they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames, and once the fire was extinguished, authorities discovered the badly decomposed body of 24-year-old James Michael Payne in the trunk.

PBSO said they captured two of the suspects, Neville Bethune and Donovan Baker, in Lehigh Acres in Southwest Florida.

A third suspect, Andrew Maldonado, was caught in Buffalo, New York.

Bethune and Maldonado are facing first degree murder and first degree arson charges, while Baker is facing first degree arson charges.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, along with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and the FBI were all involved in the investigation.