Dontae Rashawn Morris

Serial Killer

Dontae Rashawn Morris: The 2010 Tampa Murder Series

Background

Dontae Rashawn Morris is an American serial killer whose violent crimes terrorized the Tampa, Florida, area during a concentrated six-week period in 2010. Morris was convicted of murdering four people, including two Tampa police officers, and authorities also charged him with a fifth killing before prosecutors later declined to take that case to trial. The murders involved disputes, attempted robbery and Morris's determination to avoid arrest. Morris was born on August 24, 1985, in Tampa. By the time of the killings, he had accumulated an extensive criminal record involving drugs, weapons, theft, battery, resisting arrest and probation violations. His repeated contact with the criminal justice system formed the background to a series of shootings that began in May 2010 and ended with the execution-style murders of two police officers on June 29.

The Murder of Derek Anderson

The first killing for which Morris was convicted occurred on May 18, 2010. Twenty-one-year-old Derek Anderson was walking home to the Kenneth Court Apartments in Tampa after doing laundry at a friend's residence. Anderson was accompanied by his friend, Joe Anderson, when the men noticed a white vehicle following them. As they approached the entrance to the apartment complex, Morris confronted Derek Anderson. Evidence presented at trial indicated that the two men had argued earlier on a basketball court. Morris drew a handgun and fired repeatedly as Anderson attempted to escape. Anderson was struck in the back and collapsed near his home. The shooting occurred at approximately 11:20 p.m. Ballistics testing later connected the firearm used to kill Anderson with the gun used in the murders of Tampa police officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab. Witness testimony and other evidence also placed Morris at the scene. In July 2015, a jury convicted Morris of first-degree murder. He initially received a death sentence, but that sentence was overturned because the jury's recommendation had not been unanimous. Morris was subsequently resentenced to life imprisonment. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Derek Anderson Age: (21), Date of Death: 2010-05-18

Morris' troubled life took a fatal turn