Thursday, January 17, 2019

Sexual Assault Investigation


January 17, 2019

On January 12, 2019 members of the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Uniformed Patrol Division and the Criminal Investigations Division responded to a home in Bronson after receiving a report of sexual misconduct. The caller told deputies she entered the living room area of the home and witnessed Erik Donald (1-8-65) kneeling beside her sleeping family member who is under the age of 18. The caller said she saw Donald had partially pulled the front of his pants down and the front of her sleeping family member’s pants were also pulled down. When Donald realized he was being watched he quickly pulled both his pants and the sleeping child’s pants up and stated “it’s not what it looks like.”

Donald fled the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Donald, who was recently released from the Florida Department of Corrections, could not be found. An extensive search in the days following did not locate Donald either.

On January 15, 2019 a Bronson resident using a trail through a small section of woods located a subject hanging from a tree. Deputies responded to this scene and identified the deceased person and Erik Donald. Donald left a suicide note that had vague references to the earlier reported crime which is still under investigation.

The sexual misconduct investigation is currently on-going and the victim is receiving services to aid her through this process. The investigation into Donald’s suicide has been closed as no evidence was located which would indicate any other person was responsible or participated in his death.