Dillen Murray was sixteen years old when he murdered another teenager with a bat over a girl. According to authorities Dillen Murray had previously attacked the teen on two different occasions would fatally beat the victim to death with a baseball bat over a girl that both of the teenagers were interested in. Apparently Dillen Murray was jealous that the victim, Giovanni Diaz, was now dating an ex girlfriend. The teen killer would lure the victim out to a wooded area and beat him to death with a bat.
Dillen Murray would ultimately be arrested and would plead guilty. It is expected that Murray will be sentenced to life when the courts reopen in Florida
Dillen Murray More News
A Lake Wales teenager will face up to life in prison when he’s sentenced in April after pleading guilty to fatally beating his friend with a metal baseball bat in a dispute over a girl.
Dillen Alex Murray was 16 two years ago when he lured 15-year-old Giovanni Diaz to a wooded area near Caloosa Lake Village, the mobile home park south of Lake Wales where both boys lived, and bludgeoned him to death. He then called 911, saying he’d just beaten his friend and had left him bleeding in the woods, according to court records.
Murray was taken into custody on allegations of first-degree murder later that day – March 19, 2018 – the same day Diaz died. Diaz was beaten so severely around his face, head, chest and arms that he died less than 30 minutes after Murray had called 911, court records state. Polk County sheriff’s deputies found a bloody, dented baseball bat nearby.
Dillen Murray Other News
A 16-year-old Florida boy is accused of beating another teen to death with a baseball bat Monday afternoon, according to WFTV.
Dillen Murray has been charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly beat 15-year-old Giovanni Diaz to death in a wooded area in Polk County.
“A witness who was in the area saw Dillen walking out of the woods, and Dillen told the witness that he just hit his friend with a baseball bat,” a Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokesman told the station. “The witness ran into the woods and found Giovanni.”
Investigators say Murray has two previous charges of battery against Diaz in March 2016.
Murray was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center and faces additional charges of possession of marijuana less than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Dillen Murray Videos
Dillen Murray Other News
The last year has been a year of pain and suffering for Nikki McNabb.
Last March, her son, 15-year old Giovanni Diaz, was beaten to death with a baseball bat.
The murder happened in the Lake Wales neighborhood where the family lived. It’s also the same neighborhood where the accused killer, Dillen Murray, lives.
Murray is now 17-years old and is charged with first degree murder. He remains behind bars in the Polk County Jail awaiting trial.
But in an unusual move, and perhaps a legally questionable one, Murray has reached out to McNabb not once, but twice. McNabb says he first called her on the phone and then sent her a letter in the mail. She saved the envelope, which is postmarked from the Polk County Jail.
When Murray first called, she had to accept the charges. She says Murray tried to explain why this happened. “He’s like, ‘We were just arguing, we got into a heated altercation and it just went from there,’” McNabb recalled. “‘And the next thing I remember is realizing I’m yelling for Gio’s name and I panic and I called the cops.’”
McNabb says Murray said he would cry and express his sorrow over what happened, but other inmates were watching.
Then, she received the letter. It’s one page written in pencil on the front and back. He claims he traded a bag of chips to another inmate for the envelope.
McNabb has read the letter over and over again since first opening it on Feb. 19. It just doesn’t make sense. “And that’s the reason why I keep reading this over and over,” said McNabb. “I’m trying to figure out his way of thinking, like, what are you getting at? What are you trying to do? I’m lost.”
News Channel 8 On Your Side contacted the state attorney’s office. A representative confirmed prosecutors are aware of the letter. A records custodian is also working on providing a copy of the phone conversation made from the jail.
Murray closes by writing, “I’m sorry. I wish I could repeat time and bring him back.” He also writes that he would like to keep in touch.
McNabb can’t understand.
“Why? Why do you want to keep in touch with me? Why would you want to?
