Matthew Lambeth

Matthew Lambeth told one of his friends he had shot up a trailer that resulted in the death of 16-year-old James Holderness.
Lambeth is facing murder charges as well as four other counts of attempted murder after he drove a green Dodge Durango through the 6300 block of 14th Street West and shot at a trailer in Wilhelm Mobile Home Park around 11:30 p.m. Jan 15, according to authorities.
Inside near a window sat Holderness, facing the road where he was playing a video game at a friend's home.
One of Lambeth's shots hit Holderness in the right side of the head. He was airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he died the next day.
According to the warrant, Lambeth had borrowed the Durango from a friend and went to his home after the shooting.
He told his friend he shot up the trailer and that he had better not tell anyone, after he placed a sawed-off shotgun and .40-caliber Glock pistol under his friend's bed, according to the warrant.

Lambeth's friend told police he smelled fresh gunpowder on the guns.

Police searched the residence in the 1300 block of Hidden Circle East to find a shell casing in the sport utility vehicle, pistol targets, live rifle rounds as well as an empty box of .22-caliber long rifle cartridges.

According to witnesses whom detectives interviewed, Lambeth went to the trailer earlier that Tuesday to confront Holderness because he believed Holderness had stolen items belonging to him and his roommate.

About $935 worth of items including electronics, DVDs and a cell phone were reported stolen.

In a confrontation, Lambeth told Holderness he had an hour to have it back or he was dead, according to witnesses.

Lambeth is being held without bond. His court date has been set for Feb. 22.

Posted in: Wilhelm Mobile Home Park