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Man charged in slayings of Tarpon homeless men now charged in Clearwater case

 
Published Sept. 25, 2013

CLEARWATER — A man charged last week in the shooting of two homeless men in Tarpon Springs has now also been charged with murder in the death of a homeless man in Clearwater, police said.

The body of 60-year-old John Austin Lloyd was found outside a closed gas station at 1840 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. in Clearwater Sept. 16. Detectives investigating that case noticed similarities with the Tarpon Springs case, where police found two homeless men shot in the woods last month. One of those men died, the other is clinging to life.

Detectives from the two cities launched a joint investigation and determined that two shell casings recovered near Lloyd's body matched those found near the two Tarpon men who were shot.

On Friday, Myron C. Farley, 32, of Clearwater was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Tarpon case.

On Wednesday, Lloyd's slaying was added to the charges against Farley, police said.

A search warrant conducted at Farley's residence on Friday led to the recovery of a 9 mm handgun that matched evidence at both crime scenes, police said.

Farley remains in the Pinellas County Jail without bond.