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LUTZ — The grandmother's screams brought a neighbor running to the scene of a tripleslaying.
"Zachary's dead, Zachary's dead," the grandmother yelled, said her neighbor Tim Kelly.
By Monday night, deputies had not released the names of the family killed inside a mobile home north of Bearss Avenue. Investigators say someone killed a boy, 7, his sister, 2, and their mother, 26, as well as the family's dog.
A 26-year-old woman named Lisa Freiberg lived in the home with her children, Zachary and Savannah, according to records and neighbors.
Deputies interviewed a man found hiding in the home, but they did not release his name. No arrests had been made.
The scene unfolded just after 9:30 a.m. Monday with the grandmother's screams. That's when Kelly came running. From the doorway, he could see the limp body of the boy. He thought he looked like a doll.
"It was brutal," Kelly said.
Soon after, dozens of Hillsborough sheriff's investigators came to the home on Mobile Villa Drive S.
It was an "extremely gruesome scene," Sheriff David Gee said. "There was evidence that a lot of violence occurred inside."
The man found hiding inside the home was taken for evaluation in handcuffs to University Community Hospital. Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Monday afternoon that the man's role wasn't clear. She later added that he was not a suspect in the case.
Freiberg's parents live about a 5-minute drive away in Lutz. Her father, Keith Freiberg, answered the door of their house, a tidy home shaded by an oak tree on a well-kept street. He was visibly upset and said that he could not comment about his daughter because he didn't want to interfere with the sheriff's investigation.
Freiberg lived in the mobile home with her boyfriend, Edward Covington, according to his father, Ronnie Covington, a Hillsborough sheriff's detention deputy at Falkenburg Road Jail.
The couple met online and dated for a while, his father said. They had no children together, and Covington had just recently moved into Freiberg's home, his father said.
The father hadn't heard from Covington by Monday afternoon, and he was anxious.
"As far as I know, he's all right," Ronnie Covington said. "Do they think he did it?"
He described Freiberg as a fine, upstanding woman who works at Wal-Mart to support her children.
His son, who had previously worked as a Florida Department of Corrections officer, seemed happy in his relationship. He said his son is an "ordinary" person.
"They were fine this weekend when we saw them," he said. "They were fine."
Deputies were not able to re-enter the home until midafternoon because they needed a search warrant to collect evidence and conduct their investigation of the scene, Carter said. She expected it would take hours to process everything at the home. A judge had to grant permission for the deputies to continue their criminal investigation because the homeowner could not give consent for the search, she said.
Carter declined to comment about how the victims were killed or their injuries. She said that would be left to the Hillsborough Medical Examiner's Office.
Thomas Collard, 15, who lives four doors down the street, used to mow the lawn at the mobile home and helped build an addition onto it.
He said the two children did not have a father figure, so he tried to pick up the slack.
"They both looked up at me. They looked up at me like a big brother," he said, tears welling in his eyes.
Collard said he never accepted money for the work he did, but Lisa Freiberg would show her appreciation by taking him horseback riding.
"She was just there for us," Collard said. "No matter what time of night, she would be there to help me."
He last saw her on Saturday, waving to him as she passed by his house.
"I loved her and those kids," Collard said.
Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at (813) 226-3373.
[Last modified: May 15, 2008 11:07 AM]
Comments on this article
by DV
May 15, 2008 11:07 AM
The cops waited as long as possible before even naming him as a suspect, then took him to a hospital instead of jail, now they are keeping him in protective custody! The son of a cop can get away with anything it seems. preferential treatment anyone?
by u know me
May 14, 2008 1:42 PM
i agree, the first issue with the cats??? any one think then that maybe there was a problem!!!
by Sandra
May 14, 2008 1:29 PM
You don't know if the man hiding commited the crime or not. Do not punish until you have the facts. He may need monitored, but there are other factors that have to be looked at. Who else had access. Who else is missing. Not just who was found.
by JP
May 13, 2008 5:52 PM
I have known the man that was in hiding, most of my life. He was the sweetest person but had a mental illness that should have been better monitored. Last person you would fear. I feel for the poor woman and her family. He should be punished.
by Ginger
May 13, 2008 5:35 PM
Feeling really sick about the whole thing got the call at 6am today. Hits close to home this tragedy. A friend of mine grew up with her. Sick Sick coward.
by louise
May 13, 2008 5:31 PM
the question is ... when he dismembered
cats why did the state attorneys office
let him go. that was a CRIME and a sign.
by tina
May 13, 2008 3:13 PM
how could someone be sooo low and kill little kids and babies. i hope they or he or she rott in u know where
by J
May 13, 2008 2:11 PM
I would be looking for the childrens father which probably wasn't the one hiding in the closet. Sounds like a jealous ex! What a terrible tragedy.
by Leanne
May 13, 2008 1:02 PM
I hope this was not the handiwork of the boyfriend. Strange his dad doesn't know where he is and the cops aren't releasing the name of the guy found hiding. My condolences to the family and friends of mom and kids.
by Alicia
May 13, 2008 1:01 PM
Im Sick to my stomach and eyes full of tears as I can only imagine what went wrong to make this sadistic killer go crazy. My heart and sincere prayers goes out to this family and children! God Bless...this world has some sick people in it.
by Robert
May 13, 2008 12:05 PM
Death Penalty is not good enough. In my opinion, if criminals knew that what they do to someone will be done to them, they may think twice. Our systems is way too conservative. I don't know the details yet, but for those poor children. Very sad.
by Shelly
May 13, 2008 11:46 AM
Joe, in answer to your question...and end. Jesus is soon to come
by BABE
May 13, 2008 10:43 AM
duh, i wonder who did such a horrible crime? seems we've had a string of mad men killing their families.
by Ernie
May 13, 2008 10:43 AM
This is murder at its worse. I hope the person(s) responsible for this crime is captured and brought to justice as soon as possible. My thoughts and prayers go to the deceased and their loved ones.
by John
May 13, 2008 10:42 AM
What is wrong with people? My heart goes out to her family. Whoever did this should share an equally gruesome death. Thankfully the death penalty is back and just in time it seems.
by Joe
May 13, 2008 10:41 AM
What is this world coming to?
by Jessica
May 13, 2008 9:35 AM
This is so very sad. What a tragedy. Hope they catch whoever did it and he/shethey gets the death penalty. Whoever would do this does not deserve to live.
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