St. Pete Times Story
Teen dies; released suspect monitored
Two are charged with evidence tampering in the beating. More charges may follow.
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
Published June 12, 2004
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TAMPA - A teenage girl left for dead in a trash bin died from her injuries Friday, just hours before one of her suspected killers was released from jail.
Emily Ann Clemons, 16, died about noon at Tampa General Hospital, where she was brought early Thursday after residents heard banging noises inside the trash bin and dialed 911, Hillsborough County sheriff's officials said.
Laisha Landrum, 16, who sheriff's investigators said beat Clemons in the head with a stainless steel pot until she was unconscious, was released from jail after a hearing Friday on a charge of tampering with evidence.
Officials had charged her and 16-year-old Rocky Almestica, Clemons' former boyfriend, with tampering with evidence by moving Clemons to the trash bin and trying to hide the bloody pot.
More serious charges were pending results of the investigation, officials said, but were not filed before Landrum was released on the tampering charge at about 2:45 p.m. The judge ordered Landrum to wear an electronic monitoring device so she would not flee.
Based on his previous record, Almestica remained in the Juvenile Detention Center.
All three teens involved in the incident had criminal records, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Almestica's past record includes charges of vehicle theft, burglary, domestic violence battery and drug possession.
Landrum faced charges of burglary, grand theft and larceny of a motor vehicle.
The victim had been charged with domestic violence and, last month, burglary.
Landrum's neighbors on N 23rd Street, where her parents lived for three years before moving earlier this year, were shocked to hear Landrum might be involved in the crime.
"She was very nice. I've never seen her pick up a weapon," said Pauline Sacks, 19, who lives across the street from where the Landrums lived.
Landrum, who had dropped out of school after attending Van Buren Middle School, lived there on and off with her parents, Sacks said. Her parents were upset when she started seeing Almestica, who would sneak into the house through a window to see Landrum, Sacks said.
No one answered the door at Landrum's parents' current home on St. Sophia Street in central Tampa. A family friend who answered the phone at their home declined to comment and said the family would not comment.
Clemons' mother told reporters Thursday that she last saw her daughter Wednesday night when the teen left for the mall.
Donna Clemons said she had no idea that Emily even stayed in touch with Almestica. The two broke up about 18 months ago and he started seeing Landrum. Almestica and Landrum have a baby together.
Sheriff's officials said Clemons was beaten Wednesday night following a fight with Landrum and Almestica at Almestica's home in the Amaretto Apartments off N 22nd Street.
[Last modified June 11, 2004, 23:45:27]
A teenage girl left for dead in a trash bin died from her injuries Friday, just hours before one of her suspected killers was released from jail.
She was no saint, as the story pointed out, but I don't think she deserved
this to happen to her. I hope the Sheriff's Office is quick in charging these two.
