FLORIDA CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - - A decade-old homicide case has been solved with the conviction and life sentencing of Timothy Thomas III for the 2015 murder of 32-year-old Renaldo Clayton, officials said.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 19, 2015, Florida City Police officers responded to a home at 1635 NW 1st Avenue, where Clayton was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Despite extensive investigative efforts, the case went cold for years.
The breakthrough came in early 2024, when the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office contacted Miami-Dade detectives after discovering internet searches related to the homicide on a phone used by Thomas.
Investigators later linked him to the crime through ballistic evidence and witness statements confirming his role in a planned robbery and murder.
Just four days after Clayton’s killing, Thomas shot a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop in the Florida Keys, authorities said.
The deputy survived, and Thomas was captured following a multi-agency manhunt.
Forensic analysis by MDSO’s Forensic Services Division confirmed that shell casings from both incidents were fired from the same weapon.
Thomas, 34, was extradited to Miami-Dade County in April 2025 and charged with second-degree murder.
During a court hearing on Thursday, Thomas accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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