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Florida Sheriff’s Deputy Frankie Bybee Allegedly Tried To Murder Elderly Woman After Stealing Her Dog And Defrauding Her

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 11:22 PST, Jan 23, 2017

Frankie Bybee, a Sarasota County Florida Sheriff’s Deputy with 18 years of service under his belt, has been charged with attempted murder and a plethora of other charges in connection with allegedly trying to kill an elderly woman he’d befriended and defrauded.

According to investigators, Frankie Bybee met the unidentified 79-year-old victim when he responded to a call in October; by December, the deputy had allegedly stolen her dog, defrauded her to the tune of $65,000 and drugged her and left her for dead.

Deputy Frankie Bybee 46-years-old, was arrested Monday after being put on administrative leave earlier in January. According to Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight, the deputy left at least one fingerprint on fraudulently signed checks belonging to the victim. Reportedly, checks totaling at least $65,000 had been signed without the victim’s permission, allegedly by Bybee.

Investigators say that the whole thing started when the elderly victim allowed the Florida deputy to take possession of her dog while she was hospitalized; WTSP 10 repored that she entrusted the officer with her beloved pet, and even wrote Frankie Bybee a check for $1,000 to pay for the care of the pup. While she was in the hospital, the trusted Florida sheriff’s deputy who she’d met when he responded to her emergency call even visited her at the hospital. Frankie Bybee also reportedly introduced his victim to his loved ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dpCWT_d_-g

While she was hospitalized, the Florida sheriff’s deputy gained access to her home and financial information, allegedly in the guise of friendship.

When the victim was released from the hospital, she asked for her dog to be returned. Frankie Bybee allegedly refused to give the dog back, despite having been paid $1,000 for its care. The deputy is said to have sold the pooch on Craigslist.

On December 20, the victim reported a series almost unbelievable crimes to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department. The elderly woman told a tale of a deputy who had befriended her, stolen her dog, stolen her money and betrayed her trust. The department immediately began investigating the victim’s claims, and on January 9, Florida sheriff’s deputy Frankie Bybee was put on administrative leave after his fingerprint was found on one of the fraudulently signed checks.

https://twitter.com/Daynemays/status/823594772342435840

Just three days after he was suspended from his job, according to CBS News, Bybee reportedly did the unthinkable. His victim says he entered her home and attempted to kill her, staging the scene of the crime so that it would appear that the 79-year-old woman had committed suicide.

According to the victim, Deputy Bybee overpowered her and forced prescription drugs down her throat until she lost consciousness. Then, Frankie Bybee allegedly left her for dead. Unfortunately for the Florida deputy, his victim woke sometime after the brutal attack, and was able to call for help.

When Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, they found that the door between the elderly victim’s garage and home had been left open and her car left running in an attempt to fill the house with carbon monoxide. Investigators allege that Deputy Bybee deliberately staged the scene so that it would look like his victim had ended her own life.

After the Florida sheriff’s deputy was arrested on Monday, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office gave a press conference to fill the public and media in on the crimes claim their trusted 18-year veteran deputy committed while in a position of public trust.

“Bybee’s actions do not reflect the nearly 1,000 members of this agency. who represent every day, who are out with kids, who are out there in public and who this community has trust in… It is beyond unacceptable an individual who works in a postilion of trust and guardianship to their community and is capable of the heinous crimes like Frankie Bybee committed. It is a disgrace to this agency and to the law enforcement profession.”

In addition to announcing the arrest of Frankie Bybee, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office informed the public that the department is now investigating Bybee’s past conduct; anyone with any information about the Florida deputy has been asked to come forward to aid the department with their investigation.

Frankie Bybee’s charges include attempted murder, exploitation of the elderly, forgery, petty theft, two counts of grand theft, burglary of an occupied dwelling and battery on a victim 65 years or older. The Florida sheriff’s deputy was initially being held without bail at the Sarasota County Jail, however Frankie Bybee is now being held at the facility on a $1,033,120 bond.

[Featured Image by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office]

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