Dontae Lampkins

Dontae Lampkins, a 25-year-old African-American man from Tampa, Florida, was remembered by his mother as "my sunshine" and by his sister as a joyous person who could put a smile on anyone's face. A graduate of Blake High School, Dontae was working at the Convergys Corp. call center and had recently decided to study nursing at Hillsborough Community College. He was outgoing and popular, loved to dance to Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, and was close with his family, calling his mother every day just to check in and tell her he loved her. Dontae, who was openly gay, was described by his sister, Devada Carlton, as someone who believed in being true to himself.

On the morning of Tuesday, January 24, 2017, Dontae's sister dropped him off for an appointment at the Hillsborough County Health Department. Surveillance video showed he only stayed a few minutes before leaving to catch a HART bus. Around 10:30 a.m., he made his daily call to his mother, Blanchie Williams, asking about dinner and telling her he loved her. It was the last time his family would hear from him. When he didn't return home to the house he shared with his mother near the Florida State Fairgrounds or show up for work the next day, his family grew deeply concerned.

Two days later, on the afternoon of Thursday, January 26, a passerby discovered Dontae's body in a narrow, overgrown alley in the Seminole Heights neighborhood, between East Comanche and East Mohawk avenues. He was found about eight miles from his home, in a neighborhood his family said he had no reason to visit. He was still wearing the dark blue sweatsuit he had on when he was last seen. The Tampa Police Department launched a homicide investigation, initially stating that he died from "upper body trauma" and that the act did not appear to be random.

The investigation later revealed the brutal nature of the crime. According to a search warrant, Dontae had been shot at least 11 times. This detail was devastating for his family. "How many times he got shot, that was the hardest part," his sister Devada Carlton said. "To me, it says that you're not human... You don't have a soul. You don't have regard for human life." Detectives came to believe the murder was the result of a robbery. They theorized that Dontae may have arranged to meet someone through a mobile dating application, such as Plenty of Fish or Kik, and was then attacked.

In an effort to generate leads, the Tampa Police Department released surveillance video of Dontae boarding and exiting the HART bus on the day he was killed. They also released a composite sketch of a person of interest, developed from witness descriptions. This individual was seen in the area around the time of the murder, possibly riding a bicycle. Police hoped to speak with the person to see if they could provide details to help solve the case.

Dontae's murder was the third killing of an openly gay man in central Tampa in less than two months, which raised fears in the community. His family initially believed his sexual orientation may have made him a target for a hate crime. However, police stated they did not believe the three deaths were related and had not determined a motive in Dontae's case. As news of his death spread, friends and coworkers flocked to his mother's home to pay their respects, creating so much traffic that police had to direct it. "Dontae didn't deserve this at all, he was a person who was loved," his mother said.

As of March 2017, the investigation into Dontae Lampkins' murder is ongoing, and no arrests have been made. Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible. Anyone with information is urged to call the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).