ORLANDO, Fla. — The Walmart customer accused of shooting and killing a teen diaper thief shared his version of what happened in a new letter to the judge.
Lonnie Leonard is accused of manslaughter with a weapon in the 2017 shooting of 19-year-old Arthur Adams at the store on Clarcona-Ocoee Road.
He also has complaints about the jail and his own attorney.
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Leonard claims a corrections officer at the Orange County Jail threatened to cut his head off with a razor, and he believes his own attorney wants to send him to prison.
Last July, Leonard asked for a new court-appointed attorney, but in two different hearings, the judge denied his requests.
His first attorney was Ted Marrero, but a month later after another request, Marrero was gone.
Now it seems Leonard doesn't like his new attorney, either.
In a recent letter to the judge, Leonard wrote, "Daniel Tumarkin attorney at law, is not on my side he's for the other side."
Leonard indicated he doesn't trust Tumarkin and thinks he wants to send him to prison.
On Wednesday, Tumarkin filed a motion to withdraw as his attorney, writing that Leonard "left the interview room and would not continue to discuss his case."
Leonard apparently also doesn't like what's going on inside the jail.
In the letter, he claimed he's being punished for writing letters to the judge and claimed a female corrections officer "was trying to cut my head off with her [straight razor]."
As for the shooting that left Adams dead and a young woman wounded, Leonard admitted firing four shots, writing, "I only shot the SUV red Nissan once in the tinted back window, and deployed the airbags, so they couldn't see to drive off, two in the tail light, last one in the middle of the tailgate."
Leonard also wrote that he knows he didn't kill Adams.
His attorney said over the phone he's more than willing to help Leonard and there are things he can do if Leonard will work with him.
A hearing hasn’t been set yet to determine whether he’ll get a new attorney.
Walmart customer accused of shooting teen diaper thief to death in Orange County continues to write letters to the judge. On Eyewitness News at 6: what he disclosed about the shooting and why he wants a another new attorney. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/y3dx0vzyeX
— Jeff Deal (@JDealWFTV) February 7, 2019
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