Stella King Patton, 92, Vero Beach

Police: Man admitted to killing woman, putting her body in pickup

SEBASTIAN — A 56-year-old man was jailed after police said he admitted killing his fiancée and abandoning her body in a pickup at a Walmart Supercenter parking lot on Tuesday. "He transported her to Walmart to make it appear he was not involved," Sebastian police Cpt. Tim Wood said. Wood said officers arrested Michael Despres, of the 400 block of Briarcliff Circle, Sebastian. An Indian River County sheriff's jail deputy confirmed that Despres was charged with premeditated first-degree murder. Despres' booking information had not been uploaded to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office website as of 8 p.m. Tuesday. Officers identified the victim as Jeanine Bishop, 67, of Sebastian. A motive for the homicide was not immediately available. Police responded ...

Construction workers find man’s body inside Porta Potty

VERO BEACH — Two construction workers were shocked and saddened after discovering the body of a man inside a Porta Potty Tuesday morning. "I'm getting chills just talking about it," said John Digiulio, an employee for Liberty Insulation and Fireproofing. "It's a sad day in Vero Beach." The man has not been identified and his age was not available. It was unclear how long the man had been in the portable restroom. Foul play was not suspected in the man's death, Vero Beach police spokesperson Master Officer Darrell Rivers said. Digiulio, 44, and his work partner, Mark Gidron, 56, both of Fort Lauderdale, were performing renovations inside of West Bay Trading Company on the corner of 21st Street and 6th ...

‘The heartbeat of SRHS’ – Family, friends remember Billy Wilson

SEBASTIAN — Billy Wilson's impact on the community over the years was evident Saturday as family, friends, coaches, school board members and deputies gathered to pay final respects. "He was a man of integrity. He was the pulse, the heartbeat of Sebastian River High School," the school's principal Christopher Cummings said. "He was my mentor. He took me under his wing and taught me about the power of developing trustworthy relationships and leadership skills." Wilson, a former assistant principal at Sebastian River High School and sports coach, died unexpectedly from health-related issues Oct. 13 at his home in Winter Beach. He was 57 years old. Wilson's death also came less than a month after the passing of his father, William ...