Article from Todays BCS Eagle
Officials: Slaying victim killed neighbor's pigs
By HOLLY HUFFMAN
Eagle Staff Writer
Article Online
A Normangee man who was shot to death over the weekend may have been killed in revenge for apparently slaughtering his neighbor's show pigs, Leon County sheriff's officials said Monday.
Joseph Clampitte III apparently thought the pigs were wild and shot them after they rooted into his yard, Sheriff Mike Price said. Clampitte was skinning them when his neighbor, Daniel Tolopka II, arrived home and became enraged, he said.
AT A GLANCE
Joseph Clampitte III apparently slaughtered his neighbor's show pigs, thinking they were wild, after the pigs had wandered into his yard, officials said Monday.
• Daniel Tolopka II of Normangee returned home and became enraged, according to police.
• Tolopka fired at least 15 rounds from his 9 mm pistol, hitting Clampitte five times, sheriff's officials said.
• He was charged Sunday with murder.
"They weren't feral hogs," Price said, explaining that the animals had been newly acquired show pigs. "In fact, they had burrowed out of the pen from the next-door neighbor's [property]."
Tolopka, who was charged Sunday with murder, is accused of firing at least 15 rounds at Clampitte while the two were in Clampitte's back yard off County Road 456. Preliminary autopsy results released Monday show Clampitte was shot five times - two bullets grazed his back and stomach while three others struck him in the calf, forearm and back of the head.
It was the shot to Clampitte's head that caused his death, the autopsy states.
Investigators found a trail of 9 mm shell casings extending from the body to the direction of Tolopka's home, meaning he likely fired as he advanced toward his neighbor, Price said.
Tolopka told authorities he had three 9 mm pistols. He turned over two but claimed he had lost the third in the woods behind his home, according to an officer's sworn statement. Investigators searching Tolopka's home found the missing pistol hidden in a stove, the court document states.
Also found in Tolopka's home were numerous live rounds that matched the spent 9 mm casings located at the slaying scene, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff's officials said they learned of the incident just after noon Saturday when Tolopka, 34, called to report a shooting at his 50-year-old neighbor's home. Clampitte had been unarmed, but he did have two skinning knives covered in pig blood lying nearby, Price said.
Tolopka was arrested Sunday and taken to the Leon County Jail in Centerville. He was released Monday on $250,000 bail. Tolopka could not be reached for comment late Monday. Price said that he had yet to hire an attorney.
• Holly Huffman's e-mail address is holly.huffman@ theeagle.com.
By HOLLY HUFFMAN
Eagle Staff Writer
Article Online
A Normangee man who was shot to death over the weekend may have been killed in revenge for apparently slaughtering his neighbor's show pigs, Leon County sheriff's officials said Monday.
Joseph Clampitte III apparently thought the pigs were wild and shot them after they rooted into his yard, Sheriff Mike Price said. Clampitte was skinning them when his neighbor, Daniel Tolopka II, arrived home and became enraged, he said.
AT A GLANCE
Joseph Clampitte III apparently slaughtered his neighbor's show pigs, thinking they were wild, after the pigs had wandered into his yard, officials said Monday.
• Daniel Tolopka II of Normangee returned home and became enraged, according to police.
• Tolopka fired at least 15 rounds from his 9 mm pistol, hitting Clampitte five times, sheriff's officials said.
• He was charged Sunday with murder.
"They weren't feral hogs," Price said, explaining that the animals had been newly acquired show pigs. "In fact, they had burrowed out of the pen from the next-door neighbor's [property]."
Tolopka, who was charged Sunday with murder, is accused of firing at least 15 rounds at Clampitte while the two were in Clampitte's back yard off County Road 456. Preliminary autopsy results released Monday show Clampitte was shot five times - two bullets grazed his back and stomach while three others struck him in the calf, forearm and back of the head.
It was the shot to Clampitte's head that caused his death, the autopsy states.
Investigators found a trail of 9 mm shell casings extending from the body to the direction of Tolopka's home, meaning he likely fired as he advanced toward his neighbor, Price said.
Tolopka told authorities he had three 9 mm pistols. He turned over two but claimed he had lost the third in the woods behind his home, according to an officer's sworn statement. Investigators searching Tolopka's home found the missing pistol hidden in a stove, the court document states.
Also found in Tolopka's home were numerous live rounds that matched the spent 9 mm casings located at the slaying scene, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff's officials said they learned of the incident just after noon Saturday when Tolopka, 34, called to report a shooting at his 50-year-old neighbor's home. Clampitte had been unarmed, but he did have two skinning knives covered in pig blood lying nearby, Price said.
Tolopka was arrested Sunday and taken to the Leon County Jail in Centerville. He was released Monday on $250,000 bail. Tolopka could not be reached for comment late Monday. Price said that he had yet to hire an attorney.
• Holly Huffman's e-mail address is holly.huffman@ theeagle.com.
posted by steven-hoffman | 1:49 PM
5 Comments:
Yea, I wish there were pictures to go with it. Though I cant actually say that if the hogs carried “prize winning characteristics” that it would have been enough to cause me to hesitate on the trigger. We have seen them in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I don’t think I have seen one with a “Best in Show” ribbon around its neck, but if I did, I’d probably shoot that one first.
I wouldn't hesitate shooting a big pink pig that was rooting in my yard but I would be more careful about where I did the skinning of such a critter.
I wonder how far the neighbors houses are, did Jeb Clampitt know his neighbor had pigs in a corral in his back yard? And shoot them intentionally laughing about how it would anger his neighbor.
In any event I am fairly certain that the dead man was lawful in shooting any unprotected species on his property. Even if I don't agree with popping every mut that runs through your yard I think that you can shoot stray dogs on your property can't you?
Yea, if it was pink with a blue ribbon on it, I'd probably be cautious as to where I did the skinning.
As far as the dogs go, I'm not entirely sure about the legality of it, but I know that is the common practice. I have been guilty when it is a known "troublemakin stray" but not just any random critter who may be saving a few paces by knocking the corner off my yard.
That article would have been even funnier if clampitte didn't end up paying the ultimate price. I bet those two rednecks have a long history of blasting each other's animals.
Country redneck murderr paid backwoods $250000 bail in one day? Google the killer Tolopka. Ukaranian Mafias? His parents were multiple firebombed with Molotov Cocktails in their home and kind of said Gee. Someone dislikes us? Movie at http://www.click2houston.com/news/2283295/detail.html
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