VERO BEACH — Interim Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey confirmed Monday afternoon that the police department today picked up two black men found in the area of Holly Road on the barrier island. What, if any, connection the men have to the case was not immediately known.
Chief Currey said investigators were talking with the men to determine if there is a connection.
In the meantime, the Vero Beach Police Department has released descriptions of two persons of interest in the homicide case from last Thursday on Fiddlewood Road, two blocks south of where two men were picked up today.
There is also a $50,000 reward being offered by the Indian River County business community and concerned citizens for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for homeowner Brian Simpson’s murder.
Both persons of interest the Vero Beach Police Department is currently seeking are described as black men in their early to mid 20s standing between 5 feet 9 and 5 feet 11 tall.
One weighs about 150 pounds and has long, thin dreadlocks tied into a knot at the back of his head. He was seen wearing a black T-shirt and long, black shorts.
The other weighs about 165 pounds, has a thin, athletic build and is either bald or has short-cropped hair. He, too, was wearing a black T-shirt and long, black shorts. He was also wearing running shoes.
Chief Currey said the descriptions came from various witness reports from canvassing the neighborhood.
Some witnesses were within a few feet of the men, the chief said, and saw the men in the area of Fiddlewood the evening of homeowner Brian Simpsons, murder.
Chief Currey said the witnesses were “instrumental” in providing the descriptions to the police department.
“We feel we’ve got a pretty good description,” he said.
According to the Vero Beach Police Department, someone or multiple people broke into Simpson’s home the evening of Nov. 17. Simpson came home and interrupted the burglary and was shot dead, authorities have released.
Whether that person or those people are involved in other, recent island burglaries is not yet known.
“We’re certainly looking into that at this time,” Chief Currey said, adding that, to his knowledge, there were no other burglaries reported the same night as Simpson’s death.
Chief Currey cautioned the public that the persons of interest the department is looking for could be dangerous, given the use of a firearm in the murder. He said the public should call 911 if they believe they know who the men are or think they have seen them.
“Let law enforcement handle this type of thing,” Chief Currey said.
