Panhandle man arrested in death of man found outside Fort Pierce bar
November 19th, 2009 by TCPalm.comFORT PIERCE — Police have arrested a Milton man in connection with the death of a man found Tuesday night in a ditch behind a bar.
Gentleman John Clark, 35, of Milton, in the northwest corner of Florida, was arrested Thursday night and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 51-year-old Ronnie Cartee, whose body was found about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday outside of Pappy’s Lounge in the 6900 block of Okeechobee Road.
Cartee, who had no known local address, was the sixth homicide victim in the city this year. An autopsy was performed Wednesday.
Clark is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail.
According to a Fort Pierce Police Department report, police found Cartee “unconscious (and) unresponsive” with Clark kneeling beside him and holding Cartee’s head while another man stood at Cartee’s side and a woman stood at Cartee’s feet
Clark reportedly asked police, “Is he breathing? Am I holding a dead guy?”
According to the report, Clark told one officer he was hitchhiking north from Miami, was smoking cigarettes for about 45 minutes and found Cartee’s body. He reportedly told another officer he had been at a nearby restaurant.
An employee of the restaurant reported to police that Clark told her and other workers he had just broken a man’s jaw, adding, “If a bunch of cops show, tell the cops I’ve been in here all night drinking coffee.”
An autopsy found Cartee had sustained several blows to the head, and had broken facial bones including a broken jaw and bruises on his chest. A nearby vodka bottle stained with blood collected by police could have caused the injuries, according to the autopsy.
As Clark was arrested, police reported finding blood on his clothes and large scars on his chest and arm.
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November 21st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
It saddens me greatly but not surprised by this that John has come to this.I’ve always known he had a temper but to do something like this makes me sad. I pray that he finds some sort of peace within hiself.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:37 am
I am shocked that he is charged with willful homicide “premeditated”. John would NEVER intentially plan to kill anyone. I can understand accidental and fear of being apprehended.
He is in our prayers
November 28th, 2009 at 12:33 am
I agree Ms. Linda.. I am in total shock that he is being charged with 1st degree murder. Premeditated murder is jsut totally INCORRECT! I lived with John in the Masonic Home as kids. He was my first love. He is a very dear person. And someone who has a temper does not at all make them guilty of a murder. I myself have a temper but that does not make me a murderer. John has a heart of Gold. That is the side Ive always seen in him and see in him now. I am praying for him. And I will always be there for him. He is strong and knowing that The Lord will see him through!
December 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I cant agree with either women, i know him and he is an animal, yes he can be nice when he wants something, but the fact of the matter is that he has allowed drugs and alcohol to run his life, this isnt the first time he has dont something like this, its was time for him to get caught, u who know john must not have knwn him long, he has abused many of us, brutally, jus to scared to come out and say it, i wasnt, he ran and we have been tryin to find him for years now, i am praying for him but only because our children are suffering and they want to revenge him, i pray his sons dont ever get awhole of him, they have questions and want answers, u all are blinded by the devil.
December 19th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Linda, Becca,
As his brother and someone who has known him better than any of you, I can say John is NOT the person you knew growing up. He is evil. His only goal in life was to move to the next party and get whatever he could, however he could from whomever had it. If it meant he had to put on his sly face and charm you out of it, rough you up and take it from you or just steal it while you weren’t looking, he would. (Ever wonder what happened to you gold coins Linda?) I tried to help him last December. Offered to pay for a rehab for him, take care of his dog and help him adjust back into society. This is AFTER he stole from me, wrecked many friendships and relationships I had and in general used everyone who wanted to help him. His answer was no.
As far as thinking “I’m going to murder someone”. No, he probably didn’t think that. “I’m going to beat this guy to see how much he can take”… sounds more like him.
The only prayers I’m saying are for Mr. Cartee and his family.
My regret is he was not taken off the streets before this. That other judges made the mistake of granting him bail so he could skip and escalate his crimes.
This animal was a one man crime spree for the last 10 years.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Well, I am not only PISSED but APPAULED at the kind of BROTHER you are! You know, my brother is not perfect either and he has done some messed up things in his life and no maybe murder wasnt one of his crimes that he was charged with but he has been very volient, gotten in my face and hit my mother but I tell you what, I WOULD NEVER EVER ABANDON MY BROTHER, AND LEAVE HIM FOR DEAD AND WISH TO GOD HE WAS DEAD! THIS IS SO APPAULING TO ME! IT IS NO WONDER HE DID WIND UP THE WAY HE DID BECAUSE OF FAMILY LIKE THIS! BUT YA KNOW WHAT I WILL BE THERE FOR HIM JUST THE SAME WAY I WAS FOR MY BROTHER, Because NOONE deserves this kind of treatment NO MATTER WHAT! When your own flesh and blood abandons you Who the hell do you have left! I can speak the way I am because I was on the phone with him when all of this was going down! I know what happened! NONE OF YOU DO! SO NONE OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING! YOU ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU READ AND WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW! I TALKED TO HIM! I HELPED HIM! I AM THE ONE WHO CARES! SO I CAN SAY WHAT I WANT AND AS FOR YOU KEN YOU CAN KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY NICE ABOUT YOUR OWN DA BROTHER!
December 31st, 2009 at 6:45 pm
IF I STAND ALONE! I STAND ALONE! SO FUCKING BE IT!.. THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW ME, KNOW I DONT GIVE A FUCK! I’VE NEVER NEEDED ANYONE & YA KNOW WHAT!? I STILL DONT!
January 10th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Becca….. You are an idiot. You have fallen for his game, and I will no longer reapond to this on a public board.
January 11th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Ok well, I’ve been avoiding this but after reading all this crap I have to weigh in…I agree 100% with Dawn and Ken. And I really don’t want to hurt anyones feelings, but if you didn’t know John;(really personaly know him,and not just know what he wanted you to know) and I mean the John he is right now, today; NOT THE JOHN THAT LIVED IN THE MASONIC HOME, cause I guarentee you he is NOT that person, then you really have nothing to say; and you damn sure don’t have any right disrespecting his family for finaly throwing in the towel. Now Becca do you really think you know him better than any of us??? if your answer is yes then all I have to say is thank GOD you and your children didn’t have to get to know him as personaly as we all did. If you want your unjustified thoughts and feelings about him, well then hell keep them no one wants to take that from you. In a few years from now maybe you’ll come to your senses and realize we’re not trying to hurt you but only to save you from more heartache. My heart and prayers go out to Mr.Caretee’s family as well as the Clark family!!!!!!!
January 13th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
becca you dont want to abanden your brother but he surley did abanden his oldest son. any real man would not have done that. i have no pitty on john he needs to rot in jail for what is has done. he was a EVIL man and a waste of peoples time. gentlmen aka john needs to get what he deserves jail time for the rest of his life
January 13th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I think you may have misunderstood or misread MELANIE! My BROTHER does not have any SONS! He only has 3 daughters! I think you are referring to me using MY OWN Brother as a Reference! John is not MY brother if that is what you are talking about! I just wanted to get that straight! Read more carefully next time!……… I DONT REALLY CARE WHAT ANY OF YOU HAVE TO SAY I AM DONE WITH ALL OF THIS!
March 17th, 2010 at 1:23 am
This is coming from the second oldest son of Gentleman, he has never claimed me to be his, he never cared about me and as far as im concernd he never will, and like uncle ken said none of yall will ever know him as much as that man does so becca you need to shut the hell up if he does get bail and get out im gonna laugh when when you end up like the rest