Mother's Day Stabbings, Suspected Homicide In Altoona

    Two separate incidents of violence in Altoona during the past week left one person dead and two others airlifted for hospital treatment.
    The first incident occurred on Wednesday, May 4, at 19331 East Altoona Road in Altoona. Deputies came to the scene in the morning hours in reference to a deceased person at the home, and found the body of Ernie Wayne Wilburn, 44. Witnesses at the home could not provide an explanation as to what had happened to Wilburn.
    “Detectives say that the circumstances surrounding the death are suspicious,” said John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. “The cause of death is not yet being released and detectives are treating this like a homicide investigation.”
    The sheriff’s office did not release any further information at press deadline on Tuesday.
    The second incident occurred on Sunday, May 8. Mother’s Day turned violent after an altercation led to two people being stabbed when a mother came to retrieve a hot tub from the residence of her daughter. Reports state Betty Doll went to 20304 Green Wing Road in the Shockley Hill neighborhood around 3:15 p.m. to retrieve a hot tub from the residence, where she used to reside. Her daughter, Cheyenne Kee, is the current resident at the home became agitated over the process, and was reported as ‘shaking and yelling’ by her mother. Doll reportedly attempted to calm Kee, who was asking for the trio to leave the property. The argument became physical, with Kee’s clothing being ripped. She went back inside to put on a new shirt, and came back out with ‘the largest knife she could find’. She stabbed the first victim, reported as Meriah Beardsley, who was attempting to lift the hot tub. The second victim, James Priest, then reportedly approached Kee to stop the stabbing, but was also stabbed.
    Beardsley was airlifted to Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford with a stab wound in her back, and Priest was airlifted to Ocala Regional Medical Center with a stab wound to his left arm.
    Kee, 23, who spoke with officers at the scene, reportedly said she had not been threatened in any way and told officers ‘I never said it was self defense.’ She was jailed on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and jailed on a $20,000 bond.