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Tampa police release video showing man, 25, the day he was killed

 
Published March 6, 2017

TAMPA — The last time his sister saw him alive, Dontae Lampkins was on his way to a doctor's appointment in downtown Tampa.

That was early Tuesday morning, Jan. 24. Two days later, the 25-year-old was found dead in an alley in the Hampton Terrace neighborhood of Seminole Heights. Police say he was robbed and died of "upper body trauma," but have yet to name any suspects in the case.

On Monday, homicide detectives released surveillance video of Lampkins boarding and exiting a HART bus on Jan. 24 in hopes that members of the public will come forward with new information on his death.

Police confirmed he purchased a bus ticket about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, and his mother said they spoke on the phone about 10:30 a.m. that day. Surveillance video from the bus shows Lampkins boarding on Nebraska Avenue, just south of Tampa Park Plaza, and getting off at the corner of Nebraska and Hillsborough avenues.

Detectives said Lampkins' death does not appear to be a random act. He may have come in contact with his killer through a social media dating app, police said.

He was found about 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 26 in an alley between east Comanche Avenue and east Mohawk Avenue, midway between Ninth Street and 11th Street. He was wearing the dark blue sweatsuit he appears to be wearing in the bus surveillance video.

A reward of up to $3,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously at www.crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using the P3 Tips Mobile application.

Contact Anastasia Dawson at adawson@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377. Follow @adawsonwrites.