Michael Spitz (or Stip?) tells police that he and Danny Lewis killed and buried Don Lewis

 

Detective Jorge Fernandez called me this morning and said that he had a new lead in Don’s disappearance.  He asked if the name Michael Spitz meant anything to me and it didn’t.  He said that the guy claimed to work for Don and that he was short, chubby and alcoholic.  I asked if he was balding and he said no, that he had a full head of hair.  Dad said it sounded like a guy that sometimes worked at WOES who Dad called the Samoan, because of his Polynesian looks.

 

Michael Spitz claimed that he was working out at the Hwy 92 farm in Seffner, on the front end loader, on the Saturday before Don disappeared and heard two gun shots.  When he went to investigate he saw Don’s son, Danny Lewis, standing about 15 feet away with a gun in his hand.  Don was dead on the ground, with two bullet holes in his head. Danny threatened Michael and his family if he were to ever tell.

 

They loaded Don into the bucket of the loader and covered him with palm leaves.  They buried him in a pit that was 60 feet by 200 feet and maybe 30 feet deep under concrete that they were filling the hole with.  Michael says he is dying of AIDS and only has a couple months left to live and wanted to come clean before he dies.  Jorge asked if they could go dig around and I told him that I had sold the property, but that I would try to locate the new owners for him.  I pulled it up on the computer and faxed it in with this note:

 

“Danny Lewis must be in his mid 30’s.  I can’t find anything that had any more than just the name:  Danny Lewis.  He should have a pretty extensive rap sheet.  Last time I saw him he was about 6 feet tall, blonde hair, bald on top.  Don said he was adopted, but he looked so much like Don that I always suspected he was an illegitimate son that had been unwittingly adopted by Gladys Lewis Cross.  Gladys Lewis Cross was last known to me as Gladys Lewis Cross at 1603 Lakewood Drive Brandon, FL.  33510.  She was always very protective of Danny, so I don’t know if she would help.   Seems like Danny was in prison or rehab at the time that Don disappeared because when his sisters and the secretary all came in and tried to take over our business, Danny wasn’t available to sign for himself, so Gladys Lewis Cross was representing him and using her address for his mail.

 

 

(Found this booking 6/14/2020)

 

These dates may help you fill in some of the pieces.  Don fired Danny March 30, 1994, but Don fired Danny a lot, so I am not sure that was the last time.  Don told me that his insurance policy draft in April of 1997 eliminated Danny and Don’s Daughter, Lynda Sanchez as beneficiaries.

 

The person I couldn’t think of was Alvin Coulter and I remember that he and Joe Ryan were the first people to call me asking about Don after he disappeared.  When Don was robbed and beaten by the masked intruder in the late 1980’s he said that it was either Danny or Alvin Coulter and that either way they were in on it together.  Joe Ryan is the person who originally built the house that you said is falling down at the old “farm” on Hwy. 92.  Joe borrowed money to finish the home, didn’t make his payments and we foreclosed on him, taking the property and his home.  Don and Joe were involved in litigation with Lazy Days at the time of his disappearance.

 

I asked my Dad if he remembered Michael Spitz and the closest he came to the description was someone that he called the Samoan, due to his Polynesian looks.  I don’t know if this could have been the same person.  You said that Michael Spitz is dying and that is why he has come clean, but you also said that he feared for his family’s lives, so I am wondering why that doesn’t matter now.

 

As for the property, I sold it in August of 1999 to Promised Land Fund, who sold it in November of 1999 to David R. and James M. Chadwell.  Following is the Court record.  I don’t have any contact info for the current owners.  I know th