Monday morning detectives notified Mathew Daniel Temael, 22, he was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Louis Stackhouse III, of Hawthorne. Temael was already in jail for grand theft of Mr. Stackhouse's 2008 Saturn Sky.
At about 8:30 a.m. March 5, Putnam County Fire Rescue responded to a mobile home fire at 115 Cottownwood Drive in Hawthorne. Fire rescue personnel notified deputies on scene a body was located in the master bathroom during a search of the building. The body was later positively identified as Mr. Stackhouse and the Medical Examiner's Office determined the manner of death was homicide prior to the fire.
As deputies tried to located Mr. Stackhouse, the owner of the residence, neighbors told detectives a 2008 Silver Saturn Sky was missing from the home. The vehicle was listed as stolen and on March 10, the vehicle was located in Tampa.
Tampa Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and had to deploy stop-sticks to make the vehicle non-driveable.
Once the stop-sticks were used Temael and an occupant, Tatiana Munoz, attempted to flee from officers, but were caught, arrested and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. Both were transferred to the Putnam County Jail where Munoz was later released on bail.
Munoz is not being charged in Mr. Stackhouse’s death at this time; as the investigation is still ongoing.
According to the state fire marshal’s office, the fire was determined to be arson. We believe the arson was a direct attempt by Temael to cover up Mr. Stackhouse’s murder.
Mathew Temael and Louis Stackhouse were known to one another. At this time we are not going to disclose the manner in which they knew each other or for how long.
"However, we know Mr. Stackhouse’s criminal record as a sexual offender was previously reported and we want to let the public know that Temael was not his reported victim," Sheriff H.D. 'Gator' DeLoach said. "I also want to let our residents know that while I do not condone Mr. Stackhouse’s prior crimes, I cannot allow murderers to roam free. Mr. Stackhouse’s family deserved closure and justice and I am proud of my detectives
in giving them that peace of mind."
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