Home News 

Story

Man Killed During Poker Game At New Smyrna Home

Posted: 7:15 am EDT October 16, 2007Updated: 11:23 pm EDT October 16, 2007

New Smyrna Beach police are desperately trying to find two masked men responsible for a fatal home invasion at a house known for gambling. Police said 62-year-old Dennis Michael Turner was killed overnight when two masked men stormed into the house on Mill Run Drive and demanded money during a poker game.


SLIDESHOW: Images From The Scene Of The Shooting

Investigators are still trying to figure out if the man killed inside the home was targeted or if it was random. He doesn't live there; he's from Port Orange.

Some in this neighborhood don't think it was random. They say everyone knows the homeowner hosts card games several nights a week and the players bring a lot of cash.

Residents in a New Smyrna Beach neighborhood woke up Tuesday morning concerned about what happened inside a home in the 500-block of Mill Run Drive.

"This is a quiet neighborhood. Nothing ever happens around here. Just a tragedy," said neighbor John Kates.

Police said, around 9:30 Monday night, about eight people were playing poker at the home when two masked men stormed in and demanded their money. An argument started and the suspects fired several shots. One of them hit 62-year-old Dennis Michael Turner, who drove over from Port Orange to play poker.

Investigators don't know if the masked men were after Turner or the homeowner.

"I knew something was going to happen over there eventually," an unidentified neighbor said.

Neighbors said the homeowner is a frequent gambler and card player. He even has cards painted on his driveway. Neighbors said he normally had people over throughout the week for games and a few months ago he told them someone broke in and got away with a lot of money and valuables.

"They got him for $30,000, some guns and gold he had in the house, but he wasn't home at the time," Kates said.

Investigators said it's possible the homeowner could face charges, depending on how high the stakes were during Monday night's poker game.

"In Florida, you can have penny ante game up to $10 per hand and it's perfectly legal, so we're not sure how much they were gambling dollar-wise, but we're looking into that also," said Sgt. Michael Brouillette, New Smyrna Beach Police.

While investigators are looking into the gambling, they said their top priority is tracking down the two masked men. There was no word on what the thieves got away with.

More Headlines

Make WFTV Your Power On

Did you ever turn your television off at night and notice the next morning that your set comes on to a different channel? You can set your cable box so that your TV comes on to the station you want. It's easy! Full Story ››
Step-By-Step Text Instructions


Click Picks
Video Clips
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road. View Images ››


Strange News Photos

From brilliant to bizarre, our 99-photo slideshow captures a variety of strange news. Photos are added often. Take A Look!

County-By-County News

Get Hyper-Local On WFTV.com

Visit our County-By-County section for the latest news headlines out of your county. » County-By-County

When you take videos or photos of Central Florida news or weather events, iWitness is your place to upload them. » iWitness

Visit your headquarters for county-by-county news and resources, and a place to share community videos and photos. » 9Central