The body of a man was discovered on Dec. 16 inside a locked unit at a Lehigh Acres, Fla., self-storage facility. Video footage from Extra Space Storage at 5500 Timmers Lane shows two men entering the property the evening of Dec. 13, but only one leaving, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) report.
Though investigators haven’t released the victim’s name, family members claim the man was Vincent Smith, 66. The last time they heard from him was a Dec. 13 phone call at 5:41 p.m., a source reported.
Charlon Otis Grey, 28, phoned police on Dec. 13 just before 7 p.m. and told them he had stabbed someone in self-defense, but wouldn’t say where it happened. He said he used a multi-tool, and that he had visible injuries on his hands and arms from the altercation. He also claimed that when he gets scared, he blacks out and can’t recall what happens, but that he’s been known to become violent.
Multiple properties were searched, but the body wasn’t found until LCSO received another call from an unknown person on Dec. 16 about where the body might be. A second call the same day came from a person who claimed Smith hadn’t been seen in several days. During their search at the self-storage facility, deputies found the body buried underneath a pile of belongings, a source reported.
A friend told deputies Smith had been moving into Grey’s house. Video footage from the storage business shows Grey and Smith entering the property on Dec. 13 with a third man, who helped them move items into a unit. A vehicle matching Grey’s was seen in the parking lot along with a car registered to Smith.
Video then shows Grey and Smith entering the facility alone just before 6 p.m. Thirty minutes later, Grey leaves the building in fresh clothes and a new face mask, carrying a metallic object that investigators believe is the multi-tool used to stab the victim. He then leaves the facility.
When executing a search warrant on Grey’s home, deputies discovered shoes containing blood and the multi-tool, which tested positive for the presence of blood in a preliminary examination by the forensic unit, a source reported. Smith showed injuries consistent with puncture and stab wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Grey has been charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and battery on a person 65 years of age or older. He’s being held at Lee County Jail.
Smith’s family members don’t believe Grey’s self-defense story. “His wallet disappeared, his phone disappeared, and his car keys disappeared. Something doesn’t seem right to me,” said Linton Hurst, Smith’s uncle. “He wouldn’t attack you; he would walk away.”
Sources:
NBC 2, Family of Man Found Dead in Lehigh Acres Storage Unit Doesn’t Think He Was Killed in Self-Defense
NBC 2, Man Arrested After Body Was Found Inside Lehigh Acres Storage Facility
