A suspect already in jail on a $1 million-dollar bond for a 2010 premediated attempted murder, was last Tuesday indicted on a first degree murder charge in the shooting death of a Eaton Park resident.
Polk County deputies said, further investigative work led to the arrest of 38-year-old Terry L. Thomas, of Lakeland, for shooting to death, 31-year-old Robert “Bobby” Monroe, aka, “Beef Truck” of Eaton Park . Monroe was fatally shot while inside the Paradise Club in Gordonville (between Eagle Lake and Bartow), on March 17, 2001.
Investigators say, Thomas will continue to be held in the Polk County Jail on no bond for Monroe’s murder.
Already an inmate, Thomas is accused of shooting 25-year-old Tamesha Doreen Miles multiple times while she sat inside her vehicle on Noel Drive in West Lakeland on October 30, 2010. He was arrested on November 6, 2011 and charged with premediated attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deputies said.
Miles, who was pregnant at the time, survived the shooting, along with her child.
Deputies said, prior to Thomas’ arrest on November 6, 2010, he had been in the Polk County Jail on 33 prior occasions since 1990 on charges of murder, armed robbery kidnapping, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, and grand auto theft, among other charges.
Deputies also said, in addition to shooting at Miles and her unborn child, he is suspected in at least one other murder.
“Witnesses did step forward and detectives were able to charge Thomas with the 2001 Murder of Monroe,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “It is our intent that Thomas goes to jail for a long time; hopefully his reign of terror is over.”
