News

Report: Murder suspect owed slain firefighter $3,000 in drug money

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla.,None — The body of Seminole County firefighter Jerry Perdomo, 31, has been found, according to WFTV reporter Jeff Deal who was at the scene. Maine officials positively identified the body as Perdomo's late Wednesday afternoon.

Perdomo's body was discovered in the woods in Monroe, Maine.

In a rural part of Waldo County, Maine, Perdomo's family and his firefighter friends learned the heart-breaking news that search crews recovered his body, just 12 hours after Daniel Porter, 24, was booked into the Waldo County jail on murder charges, and reaking of alcohol.

A police report that was released on Wednesday gave more details about what police said led up to the killing.

According to the report, blood drops and skull fragments that were found were key pieces of evidence that led investigators to Porter.

Porter's arrest affidavit revealed information about the bizarre circumstances of the crime. The report shows Perdomo was killed in the home of Porter's father, Gary Porter. The home is where investigators scoured for evidence over the weekend and where Porter was arrested on Tuesday.

According to the report, the Perdomo and Porter had been shooting pool in Gary Porter's home and they began arguing. The report states that investigators believe Porter shot Perdomo in the head, due to the skull fragments that were found in the home. Porter's girlfriend, Cheyanne Nowak, 25, was also there.

Nowak told investigators it was drug-related and that Porter admitted he owed Perdomo $3,000.

Perdomo was armed with a .45-caliber handgun, investigators said.

The report also indicated that Perdomo had a mistress in Bangor named Lisa, who reported him missing.

Police said the fight between Porter and Perdomo, including the previous fights they had, were about money and that Perdomo’s death was drug-related.

The document also states that in January, Porter called police to report that Perdomo was throwing rocks at his windows. Both men threatened each other and Perdomo claimed Porter threatened him with a machine gun and said he'd throw his body in the wood chipper, according to the report. Then, Perdomo claimed he threatened to kill Porter, according to reports.

On Tuesday afternoon, WFTV reporter Jeff Deal was at the scene in Jackson when Porter was escorted in handcuffs by officers from the home rented by his father.

Porter spoke only to WFTV as he was being taken to jail in Maine on Tuesday. He didn't answer the question of whether he murdered Perdomo, but he did allude to the possibility of drug dealings with the Seminole County firefighter.

"What happened?" WFTV reporter Jeff Deal asked.

"Got arrested," Porter replied.

"Were you dealing drugs with Perdomo?" Deal asked.

"Not as much as they'd like to think," Porter said.

"Anything you want to say, Daniel?" Deal asked.

"I don't have the time to do it man," replied Porter.

Meanwhile in Seminole County, Perdomo's siblings gathered to break the news to his mother.

WFTV spoke with Perdomo's anonymous friend earlier in the week, who said that there was a possible drug connection.

And on Wednesday, he told WFTV that he was devastated that he was right.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that he's gone," said Perdomo's friend.

Perdomo's friend of six years, who did not want to be identified, said the news of Perdomo's death is what he feared all along.

"I tried to talk to him and tell him, 'Don't do it, it's not worth it,' but I don't know why he still did it," he said.

He told WFTV Perdomo drove to Maine several times over the past year to sell prescription pills, and that Porter was in on it.

He said that Perdomo would give the pills to Porter, who would then sell them.

Then, Perdomo would drive to Maine later to collect the money.

His friend said Perdomo confided in him about his last trip.

"He said it went alright, um, he said there was a little argument going, but he says he has to go back in a couple months 'cause he said, 'My buddy Daniel owes me money," he said.

The shock of Perdomo's drug-related death has also shaken up the Orange City community, where he lived.

Perdomo's neighbors still have yellow ribbons tied around their mailboxes, but one neighbor told WFTV that plans for a candlelight vigil on Saturday are up in the air.

Neighbors said it was hard to believe the firefighter and Marine was involved in drugs.

"Everyone makes a bad decision. No one is perfect," said Perdomo's friend.

WFTV searched through Perdomo's financial records and didn't find any money troubles.

But his friend said Perdomo expressed to him that the money was too good to pass up.

WFTV reporter Bianca Castro asked Perdomo's family if they knew about the drugs.

The family said they did not, but that his involvement did not matter because he was a perfect family man.

Previous stories: