Fishing for a clue

Thursday, December 22, 2005

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Westerman was arrested Tuesday morning.

It's been almost three years since 56-year-old David Lunz was found murdered in his home on Parkway Place in Palm Harbor, and investigators have finally made a major break in the case.

A spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office says one of the items stolen from the murder victim's house was a handgun. In October, a fisherman in Jackson County, N.C., found that handgun in a lake and turned it over to authorities.

Detectives linked the gun to the murder and 25-year-old William Westerman. He was arrested leaving his house Tuesday in Sylva, N.C., and charged with first-degree murder. He is being held at the Jackson County Jail.

"He is cooperating with investigators and he did admit to being involved in the crime," said Sgt. Jim Bordner with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Westerman is friends with the victim's son, 38-year-old Christopher Lunz. In his alleged confession, he claimed the son was in on the crime. He said the two made the trip to Florida together in March of 2003 to murder David Lunz for money.

"It's my understanding Mr. Westerman told detectives that was the intent of the trip," said Bordner.

The sheriff's office says there was no sign of forced entry at the house.

Investigators are not calling Christopher Lunz a "suspect," but they say

Lunz is being sought for his possible connection to the case.

they want to talk to him. He is 6 feet tall, about 300 pounds, with long, blond hair, a goatee and a mustache. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit at (727) 582-6200.

Meanwhile, residents in the Palm Harbor neighborhood where the murder occurred say they're glad someone is finally behind bars.

"It was very strange because this had been a quiet neighborhood," said resident Kenneth Sears. "A lot of old people and nothing like that had ever happened around here, you know. And it was quite scary for us sometimes, you know?"