An Ocala man is behind bars in connection with the death of a man whose underwear-clad body was found in October at a southwest Ocala apartment after the two exchanged text messages that were “sexual in nature.”
Orenzo Danish Fitzpatrick Jr., 30, was charged with homicide in the death of 64-year-old Elijah Coleman, whose body was located Oct. 18 on the front patio of his residence in the Whispering Pines neighborhood at 3190 SE 50th Ct. During the course of the investigation, Marion County sheriff’s detectives found a Cheetos bag inside Coleman’s residence and were able to identify a fingerprint on it belonging to Fitzpatrick, a sheriff’s office report states.
Detectives also recovered Coleman’s cell phone and discovered text messages between him and another person later identified as Fitzpatrick. The two had the “sexual in nature” conversation and eventually agree that Coleman would pick up Fitzpatrick, who had gotten out of prison on June 2 and said he would be wearing a red shirt.
They agreed to meet “three streets behind the apple,” which is the Big Apple convenience store, located at 1943 W Silver Springs Boulevard. It’s also near where Fitzpatrick lived with his mother and where Coleman’s black four-door Chevrolet Sonic was found after he was murdered.
A witness who was walking his dog on the morning of Oct. 18 told detectives that he saw Coleman come from his residence wearing underwear with his pants down. He said blood was gushing out of Coleman’s neck and he asked him to call 911. He also reported that a younger man wearing a red shirt went to Coleman’s vehicle and “sped off.”
Another witness said Coleman had knocked on her door requesting help. She said he was standing on her porch wearing only underwear, covered in blood and holding a knife. She said he asked her to call 911 and she then saw a younger man wearing a red shirt go to Coleman’s vehicle.
When being interviewed by detectives, Fitzpatrick, who lives at 1943 NW 2nd St. in Ocala, admitted that he knew Coleman and referred to him as his “god father.” He said he hadn’t seen him for quite some time but he had been to his residence and in his vehicle in the past. And he denied any involvement in Coleman’s death.
Fitzpatrick also said he was “likely out of town” at a club in Panama City Beach on the day Coleman was murdered. But when a detective told him that club had been closed because of damaged caused by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, “he admitted to lying about being out of town, because he was scared,” the report says, adding that he then refused to answer any more questions.
Fitzpatrick, who has a lengthy criminal record, was already being held in the Marion County Jail, having been picked up on Nov. 8 for failing to register as a career offender – a charged for which he has pleaded not guilty. He is being held without bond.