Highlands County Sheriff’s Deputy William Gentry has returned home. A motorcade bearing the body of the slain law enforcement officer arrived at the Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home after a trip from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Winter Haven this morning.
Thousands of residents in Highlands and Polk counties, some holding flags and signs, lined Highway 27 to honor the slain officer.
Gentry was fatally shot Sunday while responding to a call over a neighborhood dispute.
A Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Service is slated for next Tuesday at the Fireman’s Field Convention Center. That has tentatively been set for 11am. Law enforcement officers from all over the state are expected to attend.
In the meantime, the Florida Deputy Sheriff’s Association has set up a Go Fund Me page for family expenses. That can be found here; https://www.gofundme.com/5iqsc9c
Donations to the Gentry family are being coordinated through the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
A Polk County woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a wreck that killed another woman.
32-year-old Susana Baldwin pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter on Monday, the same day her trial was set to begin. Baldwin was charged in the 2016 death of 28-year-old Kellie McCain, who was a passenger in the car that Baldwin hit from behind.
The 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse in which McCain was riding was forced nearly 1,300 feet forward across a raised median and into other lanes before it stopped. The driver, 31-year-old Danny Miller, was treated for minor injuries. McCain was fatally injured.