Anthony Darnell Steele, 27, a Black/African American male from Clewiston, Florida, died on July 5, 2025, after being shot in the area of 944 Kentucky Avenue near Clewiston. Deputies arrived shortly after 3:30 p.m. to find Anthony Darnell Steele, 27, with gunshot wounds; he was taken to Hendry Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In the hours after the killing, investigators described a confrontation that began as a fight and ended with gunfire. Detectives said the fight between Anthony Darnell Steele, 27, and another man ended, and as Anthony Darnell Steele, 27, walked away, the other man produced a firearm and shot him. Authorities identified the suspect as Darrius Jamar Treadwell, 29, of Clewiston, and asked the public for tips, noting they believed the incident was isolated. A reward of up to $3,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest as the search widened.
The manhunt stretched into the following weeks until investigators tracked the suspect to Highlands County. On August 15, 2025, deputies took Darrius Jamar Treadwell into custody at a residence off DeSoto City Road in Sebring. According to authorities, a firearm was recovered after a search warrant was executed at the home. The 29-year-old was booked into the Highlands County Jail to await transfer to Hendry County, where he was charged in the homicide of Anthony Darnell Steele, 27.
As the case moved from urgent search to arrest, family and friends gathered to mourn. An obituary confirms that Anthony D. Steele Jr., 27, died on July 5, 2025, with services held in mid-July at True Vine Church in Clewiston and burial at Harlem Memorial Gardens. The notices and memorials underline the community’s loss, placing a solemn frame around the violence that took the life of Anthony Darnell Steele, 27.
