LCSO Treating Suspicious Death in Altoona as a Homicide

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego / May 5, 2022 / Altoona / 1 minute of reading

ALTOONA, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious death it is treating as a homicide, according to LCSO Lt. John Herrell.

LCSO responded to 19331 East Altoona Road on a report of a dead man Wednesday and upon arrival found Ernie Wayne Wilburn, 44, deceased. Witnesses failed to provide an explanation as to what happened to Wilburn, Herrell said in a press release.

The circumstances surrounding Wilburn’s death are “suspicious,” and his cause of death is not being released at this time, according to LCSO detectives.

About The Author

Marilyn M. Aciego

Publisher Marilyn M. Aciego was born and raised in Lake County and is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She began her journalism career at LSSC and in 2023 she was honored with LSSC’s Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement Award. She began working at the Daily Commercial while she was in college and continued her career there as a reporter after she graduated. In her 20+ year-career, she covered many of the area’s top stories including the disappearance of Trenton Duckett, the death of beloved Sheriff Chris Daniels, both in 2006 and an exclusive interview with then-Eustis Police Capt. Gary Winheim, who was ambushed and shot by a wanted felon in 2019. In addition to Inside Lake, Marilyn is the single mom of a teenaged son and the Florida Bureau Chief for an international media organization.

About The Author

Marilyn M. Aciego

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