Alex Stephens, a 48-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, was found dead in his home on November 26, 2019. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound. The investigation revealed that Stephens had been involved in an altercation with Roy Dean, a 42-year-old man, shortly before the shooting. Witnesses reported that Stephens had punched Dean in the face during an argument, which escalated when Dean threatened Stephens with a boxcutter and vowed to return and kill him.
Dean left the scene but returned approximately ten minutes later, armed with a gun he had obtained from an acquaintance known as "Toasty." Dean approached the house, saw Stephens lying on a bed through an open window, and fired two shots, hitting Stephens in the upper torso. Dean then fled the scene.
Roy Dean was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Alex Stephens. The arrest report detailed Dean's confession to the crime, including his admission of obtaining the gun and his motive for the shooting. Dean had a history of criminal activity, with previous convictions for grand theft, burglary, and possession of cocaine. At the time of his arrest for Stephens' murder, Dean was already in custody at the Pasco County Jail on unrelated charges.
The case against Dean proceeded with charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The investigation also uncovered that Stephens had been the victim of a previous shooting incident in 2018, which was unrelated to his murder. In that earlier incident, Stephens was shot by Brian Sebring following a heated argument on Facebook about political views. Sebring had driven to Stephens' home and shot him in the hip and buttocks. Sebring later avoided prison by pleading guilty to a reduced charge of felony battery and was sentenced to probation.
The murder of Alex Stephens highlighted issues of escalating violence and the impact of prior criminal behavior on subsequent actions. The legal proceedings against Roy Dean underscored the severity of his actions and his history of violent conduct. The case also brought attention to the dangers of online disputes spilling over into real-life violence, as evidenced by Stephens' previous encounter with Sebring.
