More details were released Saturday about two young men accused of brutally slaying a 92-year-old Lake County woman Wednesday to get $70 for marijuana.
Rubye James was found bloodied, beaten and stabbed in a shallow grave in a wooded area near a mobile home park east of Leesburg Wednesday, according to an arrest report released Saturday.
Two days later, Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Krystopher Laws, 21, and Joshua McClellan, 19, on charges of first-degree murder and robbery in the case.
Deputies went to James’ home in the 2200 block of Edgewood Road in Leesburg about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday after friends said they hadn’t seen her since Monday.
James’ glasses and one house slipper were laying on her front porch and two potted plants were knocked over, causing loved ones to worry.
Inside, deputies found a horrific scene. Blood was spattered at the front area of the residence and bloody drag marks wound around the home, according to the report. James, along with her white car, were missing.
Her car was found that evening on Snow Place, east of Leesburg. There was blood on the vehicle’s exterior and a knife was seen inside the car lying on the center console.
A cadaver dog followed some tire tracks nearby that lead into a wooded area, where police ultimately found James’ body beneath a thin layer of dirt and brush.
On Friday, McClellan’s mother brought her son and Laws to the Leesburg Police Department for questioning after she was told the pair had stolen James’ vehicle from a parking garage near the Leesburg library, the report said.
But during the interviews, Laws and McClellan told investigators two different stories.
Laws told investigators the two had gone to James’ house to steal money to buy drugs, the report said. McClellan said he knew the woman because he’d previously done lawn care for her.
Laws said James let them inside. That’s when Laws said he struck James in the head and she fell to the floor, according to the report. Then the men stabbed her numerous times, Laws told investigators in the report.
Laws said they dragged her body to the garage and placed her into the trunk of her car, making away with just $70. They then drove her to where she was found near Snow Place and buried her there after McClellan walked home to get a shovel, Laws said in the report.
Laws told investigators he and McClellan had already spent the $70 on marijuana by the time of their interviews Friday.
Lt. John Herrell with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the brutality of James’ death was deplorable.
“No matter how long we’ve been doing this job, we’ve never been doing it so long that we are conditioned to the point where something like this doesn’t bother us,” Herrell said. “It’s tragic, unimaginable, and just pure evil.”
McClellan told a different story to investigators. He said he and Laws only stole the car, and while they were in the vehicle he gave his pocket knife to his Laws. McClellan said Laws cut himself with the knife, and that’s why there was blood in James’ car, according to the report.
At the Lake County Jail Friday, McClellan told TV cameras through tears that he didn’t kill Rubye James.
“I loved that woman,” McClellan said.
McClellan told crews he worked for James, helping her with other chores around the house.
He said one night he was looking into empty cars for cash to buy marijuana when he ended taking one of the cars “for a drive” not knowing it was James’ vehicle.
Laws was quiet going into the jail Friday but later invited the media back and told reporters he also did not know how James died.
Herrell said the Sheriff’s Office is “glad to have these two off the streets.”
“We hope and pray Mrs. James’ family and friends can find some closure now and soon begin the healing process,” Herrell said.
Christal Hayes contributed to this report.
cdoornbos@orlandosentinel.com or 407-650-6931
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