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Tampa man guilty of killing drag queen sentenced to life in prison

 
Friends and family members comfort Barbara Lee Thomas, center, after a guilty verdict was read in the trial of her brother’s killer July 16 at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.
Friends and family members comfort Barbara Lee Thomas, center, after a guilty verdict was read in the trial of her brother’s killer July 16 at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.
Published July 24, 2015

TAMPA — Deandre Tolliver said nothing Thursday morning as a judge ordered him to spend the rest of his life in prison.

A week after he was convicted of killing Anthony Jerome Lee, the 26-year-old stood mute when a judge asked if he had anything to say.

But those who knew Lee, who was well-known for his performances as a drag queen named Wanda, were eager to tell the court what they had been through. They spoke of pain. They spoke of punishment. But they also spoke of forgiveness.

"For myself I have to tell you that I forgive you for what you've done," said Dale Wilson, who performed alongside Lee as Power Infiniti. "Myself and my friends and the entire LGBT community, we cannot be held prisoner to hate. There is only one person in this that deserves to be held prisoner and that's Mr. Tolliver."

A jury found Tolliver guilty of murder last week in the May 28, 2013, killing. On that day, Lee, 44, was making dinner for a friend, Tiffany McKinney, in her east Tampa home when a knock came at the front door.

When Lee answered, Tolliver forced his way inside, demanding money. He and Lee tussled as McKinney hid in a bathroom and called 911. She heard five gunshots and later emerged to find Lee near death.

Prosecutors suggested that Tolliver went into the house expecting to find and rob McKinney. He wasn't expecting to confront Lee.

Prosecutors convinced the jury of Tolliver's guilt by presenting a series of witnesses who implicated him in the crime. Among them was Kurt McGuire, who testified that Tolliver paid him $200 the day of the crime to drive him from Lakeland to McKinney's home in Tampa.

When Tolliver returned to the car, he had a gun, McGuire testified. He forced him at gunpoint to drive back to Lakeland.

In his trial, Tolliver took the witness stand in his own defense. He broke into tears as he denied having anything to do with the crime.

"I don't believe Mr. Tolliver understands what he put my family through," Lee's sister, Barbara Lee Thomas, said at the sentencing.

She and Wilson both recalled Tolliver's mother, who approached their family after the guilty verdict. No one won, she told them. Everyone lost.

"Mr. Tolliver's family has lost a family member," Thomas said. "But they do have one advantage. They can still go and see him. We can't go and see my brother. We can go stand at a grave that is about 6 feet long."

Then, she addressed Tolliver directly.

"Every morning I see my brother's face," she said. "And I hope you do the same."

Contact Dan Sullivan at dsullivan@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3386. Follow @TimesDan.