THE DARK SIDE OF FLORIDA
Walter Bainter
#382417
Full Name: Walter Clifford Bainter
Alias: "Wally," "Mark Miller"
Date of birth: August 28, 1975
Conviction: 1st-degree murder
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Current Location: Hamilton Correctional Institution
Date of crime: January 7, 2012
Tentative discharge date: Life
Victim(s): Walter Richmond Hobson II
Alias: "Wally," "Mark Miller"
Date of birth: August 28, 1975
Conviction: 1st-degree murder
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Current Location: Hamilton Correctional Institution
Date of crime: January 7, 2012
Tentative discharge date: Life
Victim(s): Walter Richmond Hobson II
Vero Beach Highlands resident, Walter Bainter, was charged with first-degree murder for the stabbing death of a 67-year-old neighbor during a robbery of the man’s home on January 7, 2012. Bainter, 36, of the 2100 block of Sunrise Drive Southwest, was accused of premeditated murder in the slaying of Walter Richmond Hobson II in the 600 block of 23rd Place Southwest. In addition, Bainter was charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, grand theft of a motor vehicle and grand theft of a firearm – all that, according to sheriff’s – was to get money to buy drugs.
Soon after the homicide, investigators labeled Bainter “a person of interest” and began questioning him. He said he knew Hobson and visited him the night of the slaying, but he denied killing him.
Family members discovered Hobson dead shortly before noon on January 8, when they visited his home to check on him because he hadn’t been answering phone calls. Instead of Hobson being up and reading his newspaper as usual, he was found, lifeless on the kitchen floor with stab wounds to the chest and neck. A 42-inch Vizio television was missing, as was Hobson’s blue Honda Civic and a handgun.
After the murder, an acquaintance of Bainter’s told of driving Bainter to Hobson’s residence at about 7:30 on January 7 to get $40. That led deputies to finding Bainter, who was known only as “Wally,” hiding in a friend’s home. There, investigators recovered a folding pocket knife belonging to Bainter. Also, his acquaintances led investigators to Hobson’s Civic parked in a shopping plaza at 43rd Avenue and Ninth Street Southwest.
Investigators initially quoted Bainter as saying he had a long-standing drug problem and he met Hobson in September while wandering around looking for lawn maintenance work. He began doing odd jobs for him. Bainter had been staying temporarily with friends in the Vero Beach Highlands area after he fought with his girlfriend and went on a drug binge.
The night of the killing, Bainter said he went to Hobson’s home to get money to buy more drugs. While there, he borrowed Hobson’s car on a pretext of getting medicine for his children. He told deputies that when he returned, Hobson was dead. Bainter then said he was supposed to get Hobson out of his home so others could steal his possessions.
Later, a witness said Bainter purchased Vizio television from a name named “Wally’ and then sold it to his grandmother for $70. In a photo lineup, the witness picked Bainter as the one who delivered the television within a half-hour of the murder. The sale was made after the witness received a phone call from Hobson’s cellphone, after the time Hobson was believed to have died. A cellphone was found in a room where Bainter had been.
Soon after the homicide, investigators labeled Bainter “a person of interest” and began questioning him. He said he knew Hobson and visited him the night of the slaying, but he denied killing him.
Family members discovered Hobson dead shortly before noon on January 8, when they visited his home to check on him because he hadn’t been answering phone calls. Instead of Hobson being up and reading his newspaper as usual, he was found, lifeless on the kitchen floor with stab wounds to the chest and neck. A 42-inch Vizio television was missing, as was Hobson’s blue Honda Civic and a handgun.
After the murder, an acquaintance of Bainter’s told of driving Bainter to Hobson’s residence at about 7:30 on January 7 to get $40. That led deputies to finding Bainter, who was known only as “Wally,” hiding in a friend’s home. There, investigators recovered a folding pocket knife belonging to Bainter. Also, his acquaintances led investigators to Hobson’s Civic parked in a shopping plaza at 43rd Avenue and Ninth Street Southwest.
Investigators initially quoted Bainter as saying he had a long-standing drug problem and he met Hobson in September while wandering around looking for lawn maintenance work. He began doing odd jobs for him. Bainter had been staying temporarily with friends in the Vero Beach Highlands area after he fought with his girlfriend and went on a drug binge.
The night of the killing, Bainter said he went to Hobson’s home to get money to buy more drugs. While there, he borrowed Hobson’s car on a pretext of getting medicine for his children. He told deputies that when he returned, Hobson was dead. Bainter then said he was supposed to get Hobson out of his home so others could steal his possessions.
Later, a witness said Bainter purchased Vizio television from a name named “Wally’ and then sold it to his grandmother for $70. In a photo lineup, the witness picked Bainter as the one who delivered the television within a half-hour of the murder. The sale was made after the witness received a phone call from Hobson’s cellphone, after the time Hobson was believed to have died. A cellphone was found in a room where Bainter had been.
Source: TC Palm