Joseph Wayne Witherington, a 21-year-old resident of Lakeland, Florida, tragically lost his life on March 28, 2019. Born on January 15, 1998, Joseph, affectionately known as "Joey," was a beloved member of his community and an entertainer in the local dance club scene. His untimely death left his family and friends in deep mourning. Joey's body was discovered in an orange grove off Mud Lake Road in a rural area of southeast Polk County.
The initial investigation by the Polk County Sheriff's Office revealed that Joey had been violently killed and left in the grove by unknown suspects. The discovery of his body by grove caretakers marked the beginning of a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The investigation quickly identified Heather Tyler, a 28-year-old woman from Winter Haven, as a suspect in Joey's murder. According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Heather Tyler was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and grand theft of a firearm. The evidence gathered by homicide detectives indicated that Heather had shot Joey twice in the head while he was driving a friend's blue Kia along a dirt road between orange groves. The autopsy confirmed that Joey had been shot execution-style, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Heather's arrest affidavit detailed her various accounts of the events leading up to the murder, but the evidence and witness statements corroborated her involvement in the crime.
Heather Tyler's arrest brought some measure of relief to Joey's grieving family and friends, who had been seeking justice for his senseless murder. Sheriff Grady Judd of the Polk County Sheriff's Office emphasized the cold-blooded nature of the crime, stating that Heather had executed Joey without any justifiable reason. The investigation revealed that after shooting Joey, Heather had taken his wallet, fled the scene, and attempted to destroy evidence by burning her blood-stained clothes. The arrest and subsequent charges against Heather Tyler marked a significant step in the pursuit of justice for Joey Witherington, ensuring that those responsible for his tragic death would be held accountable.
