3 Jehovah's Witnesses Found Murdered

Kenneson

In Orange City, Volusia County Florida, 3 members of the Negron family were found murdered in their home in a quiet neighborhood, unknown for any violence. They were active JWs, even hosting meetings in their home. The Witness community is in disbelief.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

Scroll down to "Bodies discovered in Orange City"

Gopher

Bodies of 3 discovered in Orange City home By Amy C. Rippel and David A. Collins | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted December 2, 2003, 7:32 AM EST

ORANGE CITY -- Volusia County investigators said a mother and her two sons who were found dead inside a small home in a quiet neighborhood Monday night are homicide victims.

Investigators said they found signs of a struggle in the home at 765 Biscayne Drive in the Breezewood Park subdivision just south of Orange City. Carmen Negron, 63, and her two sons, Gilberto Vergara-Negron, 28, and Yamir Orlando Vergara-Negron, 26, were found dead in the home.

"This is the kind of stuff you don't think about happening in Orange City, just in bigger cities," said Hector Rivera, 19, who said he was the victims' cousin. "Everybody is freaked out about it."

About 7:30 p.m. Monday, the three bodies were found inside the home by a friend or a passer-by, investigators said.

Authorities said they are looking for a 1995 white Honda Civic DX, with license-plate number IR061B, that is associated with one of the victims, sheriff's officials said. According to records, the car belongs to Carmen Negron. The car was last seen Sunday.

Many people standing outside the home, which was surrounded by crime scene tape, said the people who lived there were very religious with strong ties to the Jehovah's Witnesses church.

Gabriel Torres, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in DeBary, said he knew the family who lived in the home.

"They were a very humble family. All they did and all we do is serve Jehovah," he said.

Mike Gonzalez, 59, who lives a few blocks away and jogs by their house frequently, saw Negron just the other day while she was doing yard work. He said she has lived there with her sons for about seven years.

"We've never had anything like this in the neighborhood. They're quiet, they're very nice, they don't drink or smoke or anything like that. How could that happen?" he said. "This is a tragedy. These people don't bother anybody."

Susan Pirolo, 36, who lives in the neighborhood, said the community has always been quiet.

Pirolo said she didn't notice anything unusual at the home in the past few days. On Mondays, the family hosted church gatherings at the house.

"There's no crime in this neighborhood," she said. "None. This is an old neighborhood," Pirolo said. "We watch each other's houses." Charlene Hager-Van Dyke of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Amy C. Rippel can be reached at [email protected] or 407-420-5736. David A. Collins can be reached at [email protected] or 386-851-7922.

Gopher

This is so sad for the family involved. The non-JW's quoted commented on the human tragedy that occurred. Gabriel Torres (the JW) just had to take advantage of this tragedy to give a "witness" (all we do is serve Jehovah).

The deaths are tragic and the lives of those who perished should not be reduced to a shallow "all they did was witness".

fran

This is terrible news So sorry about this.In my town a couple of years ago a whole family was killed (non JW)it shook everyone for the family were well liked too.

blondie

The one neighbor says they watch each other's houses. I vote for someone who is normally seen in the area, neighbor, friend, family member as the perpetrator.

Blondie

Will Power

Terrible thing.

There seems to be no mention of a husband or father.

wp

detective

Not to in any way take away from the tragedy but I have to take exception to this neighbor's statement:

They're quiet, they're very nice, they don't drink or smoke or anything like that. How could that happen?" he said. "This is a tragedy. These people don't bother anybody."

Yes, because if they had enjoyed a marlboro light over a can of schlitz, then the fact that they were murdered might somehow make sense.

Sounds to me like this particular neighbor may be an unsung supporter of the witnesses as well seeing as how he seems to think that the lack of drinking or smoking somehow proves to be an indicator of...I'm sorry... what?

my version:

They're quiet, they're very nice, they don't eat meat or vote democrat or anything like that. How could that happen?" he said. "This is a tragedy. These people don't bother anybody."

(sorry, pet peeve).

More important though, I feel it is quite sad that these 3 lives were extinguished.

ballistic

Detective, just to take up Devil's advocate with you for a minute, he may have meant, they don't drink or smoke, and by implication, do hard drugs which are often not far behind crime.

Wolfgirl

How sad.

This is so sad for the family involved. The non-JW's quoted commented on the human tragedy that occurred. Gabriel Torres (the JW) just had to take advantage of this tragedy to give a "witness" (all we do is serve Jehovah).

I was thinking the exact same thing.

detective

I see your point ballistic but it's such a leap for this man to make. Seriously, I can't imagine even thinking "well, ballistic had a couple pints at that party last weekend- therefore his murder isn't entirely unexpected".

I could see, perhaps, thinking "I'm surprised Johnny had that heart attack as he was often working out at the gym". There is, at least in passing, some possible connection between physical fitness and the element of surprise when a death is attributed to something that could be perceived as a result of lack of physical fitness such as a heart attack. Or, alternatively, I could see saying "I'm surprised Bobby died from Cirrohsis of the liver as he never even drank alcohol. However, there is absolutely no reasonable link between having a glass of wine and a smoke and murder.

So, my thought is that this man is using faulty identifiers as to who, on some level, "deserves" to be murdered. Bear with me on that "deserves" thing but I think you get what I'm saying. He has criminalized or demoralized two legal activties (drinking & smoking) as if they could possibly be a litmus test for good or evil ("deserving of death" or "undeserving" of death). Which is why, although he is not identified as a JW in the article, I'm putting money on the fact that he is either a JW, a study, or a sympathizer. Either way, I still think he's making a huge leap and using poor logic.

3 Jehovah's Witnesses Found Murdered

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