Neighbor Charged in Stabbing Death of Elderly Tarpon Springs Man

A neighbor has been arrested and charged with stabbing to death an elderly Tarpon Springs man in December in an attempt to steal his money, the Tarpon Springs Police Department said Wednesday.

The suspect, Richard Lee Brockington, 45, lives in the same North Ring Village aparment complex where 73-year-old Eddie Dixon was found dead in his home Dec. 7.

Authorities say Brockington knew Dixon and lived in an apartment across from his. Although the two weren't friends, they had "no known problems with each other," and Brockington was apparently invited into Dixon's home shortly after 10 p.m. the night he died and intended to rob him, according to a media release from Tarpon Police.

Investigators said in a report that Dixon was known to carry large amounts of money, mostly $50 bills he often kept his socks or pockets, "because he was wary of keeping money in the bank." He received assistance from the government and from Veterans Affairs at the beginning of each month.

Brockington repeatedly stabbed Dixon in the upper torso with "an unknown edged weapon" until he died, the arrest affidavit states. He then allegedly rifled through the dead man's pockets, pulling them inside out and pulling down his socks in an apparent search for the money.

Dixon's body was found the next morning by a caretaker who visited his apartment each day.

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Suspect Seen on Video

Police said Brockington can been seen on video walking from his apartment to Dixon's, then leaving a few minutes later with two wallets.

"He empties the contents of one wallet and places those contents in his wallet, and then hides the wallet in the bushes of a neighboring apartment, which he then enters," police spokesperson Capt. Jeffrey P. Young said in a release. The resident of that apartment later told investigators Brockington had several $50 bills with him and had blood on his shirt, Young said.

Video later shows Brockington looking for the wallet he had placed in the bushes, eventually recovering it, according to police.

Brockington's roommate told police he entered their apartment in the early morning hours after Dixon's death and showered, Young said. "She has not seen the clothes he was wearing since that night," Young said.

Police said the only other person seen on video entering Dixon's apartment prior to Brockington was Dixon's daughter. Dixon was seen leaving the apartment after his daughter, sitting on a chair and then re-entering his apartment before Brockington came over.

The video has not been made available and is still part of the active criminal investigation, Young said.

Brockington did not make any statements to police about possible involvement in the incident, police said.

Brockington is charged with first-degree murder. He is being held at Pinellas County Jail without bond and is awaiting trial. 

Related Coverage

• Unsolved Murder of Tarpon Springs Man Leaves Unanswered Questions
• Tarpon Police Investigating Homicide at Apartment Complex