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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Escambia County's First African American County Commissioner, Willie Junior, Found Dead in East Hill |
Current rating: 1 |
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by NWFIMC Staff |
13 Dec 2004
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Late Thursday, an unidentified and badly decomposed body was found under a house in East Hill. The next day, it was confirmed that the unidentified body was that of Willie Junior. Junior's death confirmed the worst fears of his friends and family while bringing to an end the search for the missing former Escambia County Commissioner who had been missing for nearly a month. |
Thursday evening the body of 62 year-old Willie Junior, Escambia County's first black county commissioner, was discovered under a crawl space of the home of a former employee.
Family and friends first became concerned when Willie Junior failed to show for court date where he was to be sentenced for his part in a corruption scandal which brought down 4 of the 5 elected Escambia county commissioners in 2002.
Shortly after Junior's no-show, Movement for Change held an emergency meeting at the Center for Social Justice where concerns were voiced that the sheriff's department weren't taking Junior's disappearance seriously. No one knew what happened to Willie, but many feared the worst.
The FBI became involved with the search, which they were treating as a fugitive from justice, and set a reward for information leading to his arrest initially at $2,500 and later to $5,000. But few came forward with any new information that the sheriff's, FBI, and friends didn't already know.
Some of the last people known to have spoken to Willie Junior all said that he was not himself and seemed very troubled when they saw him last.
Willie Junior was first elected to the Escambia County Commission in 1983, making him the first African-American to hold the office. In 1986, Junior announced that he would open the first drive-thru funeral home in the United States, which stayed in operation until his 2002 arrest. It was underneath the home of a limo driver for Junior's Funeral Home that the former county commissioner's body was discovered.
Mr. Dudley, the limo driver who lives in East Hill, said that he had not seen Junior since the funeral home closed. He was not sure why his former employer came to his home to die. Junior's body was apparently underneath the home for almost a month until a foul odor was detected by a neighbor who alerted the police.
Willie Junior's death hasn't been ruled a suicide yet, but the media and local law enforcement are treating it as such. His body was found with 3 empty beer bottles and an unmarked empty pill bottle. Neither law enforcement nor the media have said whether a suicide note was found.
Sunday evening a gathering of roughly 200 people showed up for a candlelight vigil in East Hill to mourn the passing of Junior and to express sympathy for his family.
The Pensacola News Journal quoted Mary Stanton, a social worker who knew Junior as saying "Mr. Junior didn't care what color, he helped everybody. We have lost a good friend. He will be missed."
Gary Sansing, a local community activist and friend of Willie's also spoke at the vigil.
"He did want to confess -- he just couldn't bring himself to," Sansing said. "He needed the opportunity to say what was in his heart, but he never got the opportunity. Believe me, the community will miss this man."
At the close of the ceremony, another community activist, Reverend Rodney Jones, offered his prayer to the community.
"Lord, we need you to hold us in this time of need," he said. "Unravel this ball of yarn and let us see what is at the core of this thing. Give us resolve."
A memorial service for Willie Junior is planned for 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Joe Morris & Son Funeral Home, 701 N. DeVilliers St.
A private graveside service will take place Wednesday.
Willie Junior leaves behind a wife and one daughter. |
This work is in the public domain. |
