LCSO: Tallahassee man told investigators he felt 'calm' after murder in 'transient camp'
A man accused of premeditated murder after the body of a homeless man was found in northwest Tallahassee said he felt "calm" after the killing.
Dusty McDonald "said he was surprised at how calm he was after he was done," an investigator with the Leon County Sheriff's Office wrote in court records. "As he walked away from the scene, he thought to himself 'I'm glad I'm not crazy.'"
McDonald, 29, was arrested late Saturday night at a residence in connection with the murder of James Ledendecker, whose body was discovered in the 3800 block of N. Monroe at what police called a "transient camp" in the woods near the tax collector's office earlier that day.
He remains in the Leon County Detention Facility without bail.
In a pre-trial interview with detectives, McDonald said he suffers from untreated mental illness.
Sometime Saturday morning, McDonald searched for Ledendecker, who lived in a homeless camp behind a shopping plaza in northwest Tallahassee, court records said.
Using a small machete, witnesses saw McDonald cut multiple strings near Ledendecker's tent, an arrest affidavit said. McDonald left upon realizing Ledendecker wasn't there.
"[Ledendecker] told the witnesses he was increasingly in fear for his life and that he was planning on defending himself with a cup of gasoline should [McDonald] try and harm him again," court records said.
McDonald waived his Miranda rights and told detectives he believed Ledendecker was "conspiring" against him.
He said as he approached Ledendecker in the homeless camp Saturday afternoon, Ledendecker threw a liquid at him that he believed to be gasoline.
McDonald hit Ledendecker with a branch from a crape myrtle tree before he tortured him to "gather intelligence."
He then admitted to killing Ledendecker.
"Based on the above, there is probable cause to believe [McDonald] intentionally murdered [Ledendecker]," investigators wrote in an affidavit after describing McDonald's confession.
His first appearance occurred Monday morning.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee man tells Leon County investigators he felt 'calm' after murder
