A decade-old South Florida murder case has finally been closed with the conviction and life sentencing of the man responsible for the killing of Renaldo Clayton.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit announced on Friday that Timothy Thomas III was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for Clayton’s 2015 murder. Thomas accepted a plea deal during a court hearing before Judge Michelle Delancy.
Thomas, who was already serving a life sentence for attempted murder after shooting a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy during a 2015 shootout, was extradited to Miami-Dade County earlier this year and charged with second-degree murder in Clayton’s case.
According to the Miami Herald, Thomas is also charged in a separate cold case involving the 2010 murder of a Gainesville boy.
The “Execution-Style” Murder in Florida City
On October 19, 2015, Clayton was shot and killed inside his home on NW 1st Avenue in Florida City. Surveillance video from earlier that day showed him playing T-ball with his three-year-old son and a cousin in the front yard.
Family members said that after Clayton’s son was picked up by his mother, Clayton went to a nearby store. When he returned home around 10 p.m., the suspect allegedly ambushed him — following him inside and shooting him in the mouth and head, execution-style.
Investigators at the time were unsure whether the attack was random or targeted, and the case went cold for nearly a decade.
Shootout in the Florida Keys
Just four days after Clayton’s murder, Thomas shot a Monroe County deputy during a traffic stop in the Florida Keys. The deputy survived, and Thomas was arrested after a multi-agency manhunt.
Evidence That Solved the Case
In May 2024, authorities in Alachua County contacted Miami-Dade homicide investigators after discovering a phone belonging to Thomas that contained key evidence. Ballistics testing later confirmed that 9mm shell casings found at the deputy shooting scene matched those found beside Clayton’s body.
In August 2024, investigators interviewed Thomas at the Graceville Correctional Facility in Jackson County. Following the interview, he was formally charged and extradited to Miami-Dade County to face an additional homicide charge in Clayton’s murder.
After nearly ten years, the conviction brings long-awaited closure for Clayton’s family and officially closes one of Miami-Dade’s coldest murder cases.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply