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Woman allegedly kills neighbor who refused her a beer
The tightly knit fishing community of Conch Key is reeling from the death of 64-year-old Marty Mazur, who was shot repeatedly by a neighbor woman after he refused to give her a cold beer Sunday evening, according to neighbors and law enforcement accounts.
Carolyn Dukeshire, 62, who lives down the street from Mazur, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
Dukeshire, who does odd jobs and makes lobster traps, often refers to herself as Sea Hag, neighbors said Monday.
According to an arrest affidavit, Conch Key resident Casey Whippo, 30, was drinking beer with Mazur behind Mazur's home at 53 N. Conch Ave. about 6 p.m. when Dukeshire, who lives on a houseboat at 70 Conch Ave., walked around the side of the house and asked, "Do you have a cold beer for me?"
Mazur reportedly replied, "I have absolutely nothing for you."
Dukeshire then pulled a handgun and shot Mazur five times, hitting him twice in the abdomen, twice in the back and once in wrist, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Whippo reportedly grabbed Dukeshire's arms and held the gun up, above her head, but she apparently was able to toss it into the canal behind Mazur's home.
Whippo phoned 911, and while he was speaking to a dispatcher Dukeshire told him, "Mazur is dead," according to the arrest affidavit.
Dukeshire then sat down on a lobster trap and made no attempt to leave the area, Whippo told deputies.
Neighbor Jeff Cramer said deputies arrived with their guns drawn and arrested Dukeshire without incident.
Mazur was taken to Fisherman's Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
A Sheriff's Office dive team recovered the handgun, Cramer said.
Cramer, a lobster wholesaler who lives behind Mazur, said the victim was a Chicago native who retired in Conch Key about 10 years ago. He described Mazur as a laid-back eccentric who collected Keys-related odds and ends. He said that about a year and a half ago, Mazur and Dukeshire had a falling out and he told her she was no longer welcome on his property.
"He pretty much washed his hands of her after whatever they got into it about," he said.
Mazur operated the Crisis, a commercial trap-fishing boat, though the lobster business was more of a hobby for him than a necessity, neighbors said.
Cramer said Mazur kept his gate open and the makeshift bar in his back yard was often the place to go to watch football games and NASCAR races, as well as drink beer and listen to 1970s music.
"He always had ice cream for the kids," Cramer said.
Cramer said he didn't hear the shots -- he was operating a forklift at the time -- but he saw, and then heard, Whippo frantically trying to help Mazur.
"I couldn't imagine her shooting Marty," Cramer said of Dukeshire. "I've never seen her violent. She drank a lot, like a lot of people around here. She would make traps, but nobody really hired her because she's a troublemaker. But I never saw her act violent or anything like this."
Next to Mazur's house is the Moyer family vacation home. Art and Verna Moyer and their 9-year-old son Devin, were just arriving from Fort Meade when they saw the squad cars and emergency vehicles.
Tears ran down Verna Moyer's face Monday as she stood on her front porch talking about Mazur, whom she called "the mayor of Conch Key."
"There's going to be one less boat out there this year," Moyer said. "It just ain't going to be the same coming down here no more." "I feel like I lost a family member," Devin Moyer said.
Dukeshire has no previous arrest history in Monroe County, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Deputy Becky Herrin. Dukeshire was being held without bail Monday at the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island. An arraignment had not been scheduled.
alinhardt@keysnews.com
The tightly knit fishing community of Conch Key is reeling from the death of 64-year-old Marty Mazur, who was shot repeatedly by a neighbor woman after he refused to give her a cold beer Sunday evening, according to neighbors and law enforcement accounts.
Carolyn Dukeshire, 62, who lives down the street from Mazur, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
Dukeshire, who does odd jobs and makes lobster traps, often refers to herself as Sea Hag, neighbors said Monday.
According to an arrest affidavit, Conch Key resident Casey Whippo, 30, was drinking beer with Mazur behind Mazur's home at 53 N. Conch Ave. about 6 p.m. when Dukeshire, who lives on a houseboat at 70 Conch Ave., walked around the side of the house and asked, "Do you have a cold beer for me?"
Mazur reportedly replied, "I have absolutely nothing for you."
Dukeshire then pulled a handgun and shot Mazur five times, hitting him twice in the abdomen, twice in the back and once in wrist, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Whippo reportedly grabbed Dukeshire's arms and held the gun up, above her head, but she apparently was able to toss it into the canal behind Mazur's home.
Whippo phoned 911, and while he was speaking to a dispatcher Dukeshire told him, "Mazur is dead," according to the arrest affidavit.
Dukeshire then sat down on a lobster trap and made no attempt to leave the area, Whippo told deputies.
Neighbor Jeff Cramer said deputies arrived with their guns drawn and arrested Dukeshire without incident.
Mazur was taken to Fisherman's Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
A Sheriff's Office dive team recovered the handgun, Cramer said.
Cramer, a lobster wholesaler who lives behind Mazur, said the victim was a Chicago native who retired in Conch Key about 10 years ago. He described Mazur as a laid-back eccentric who collected Keys-related odds and ends. He said that about a year and a half ago, Mazur and Dukeshire had a falling out and he told her she was no longer welcome on his property.
"He pretty much washed his hands of her after whatever they got into it about," he said.
Mazur operated the Crisis, a commercial trap-fishing boat, though the lobster business was more of a hobby for him than a necessity, neighbors said.
Cramer said Mazur kept his gate open and the makeshift bar in his back yard was often the place to go to watch football games and NASCAR races, as well as drink beer and listen to 1970s music.
"He always had ice cream for the kids," Cramer said.
Cramer said he didn't hear the shots -- he was operating a forklift at the time -- but he saw, and then heard, Whippo frantically trying to help Mazur.
"I couldn't imagine her shooting Marty," Cramer said of Dukeshire. "I've never seen her violent. She drank a lot, like a lot of people around here. She would make traps, but nobody really hired her because she's a troublemaker. But I never saw her act violent or anything like this."
Next to Mazur's house is the Moyer family vacation home. Art and Verna Moyer and their 9-year-old son Devin, were just arriving from Fort Meade when they saw the squad cars and emergency vehicles.
Tears ran down Verna Moyer's face Monday as she stood on her front porch talking about Mazur, whom she called "the mayor of Conch Key."
"There's going to be one less boat out there this year," Moyer said. "It just ain't going to be the same coming down here no more." "I feel like I lost a family member," Devin Moyer said.
Dukeshire has no previous arrest history in Monroe County, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Deputy Becky Herrin. Dukeshire was being held without bail Monday at the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island. An arraignment had not been scheduled.
alinhardt@keysnews.com
