Arrest made in Lutz triple murders

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

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This booking photo of Edward Covington, 35, was taken Wednesday.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The boyfriend of one of the victims in a triple murder in Lutz has been arrested.

Edward Covington, 35, was named a suspect in the murders of a woman and her two kids at a press conference Wednesday evening.

Covington's girlfriend, Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her children, Zachary, 7, and Savannah, 2, were discovered dead inside a mobile home on Monday. The family dog was also killed.

Covington is charged with three counts of first degree murder, three counts of abuse on a dead body, one count of animal cruelty and one count of violation of probation.

(Covington was serving one year's probation for drunken driving and possession of a controlled substance.)

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The sheriff's office said Covington admitted to the murders.

He "provided extreme details as to the manner, the order and the means by which he committed these crimes," said Chief Jose Docobo, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Docobo said it appears the murders were spontaneous and were committed early Sunday morning, Mother's Day.

Covington was found hiding in a closet after the bodies were discovered.

He was taken to the hospital after deputies say he ingested crack cocaine.

When asked by a reporter if Covington had been found covered in blood, Docobo responded "the scene was so grisly that it would be impossible to be in that scene without being exposed to blood."

Because of the nature of the crime, it's still unknown how the victims died. The sheriff's office said multiple weapons were used.

Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her children, Zachary, 7, and Savannah, 2, were discovered dead on Monday.

Some of the bodies were mutilated, some were dismembered, and at least one was decapitated.

Docobo said the case has been difficult for himself as well as other investigators.

"Without a doubt it's one of the most horrific scenes that I've ever seen," he said. "And the fact that it involved children and the nature of the crime it's been very difficult for the investigators."

A probation officer inspected the home just two days before the bodies were discovered.

According to the probation officer's case notes, Freiberg was making lunch for the kids and the home was described as "messy."

To see press conferences on this case in their entirety, tune to Bay News 9 On Demand, channel 342.

Covington told the officer his girlfriend was a "pack rat and they were working on cleaning the house."

The report ends with this observation: "No problem or concerns noted at present time."

Covington was hospitalized previously under the provisions of the state Baker Act after officers found him in his kitchen with three dead, mutilated cats.

He had worked as a state prison corrections officer for ten years prior to his DUI conviction.