Gainesville man arrested for beating homeless man to death near Tom Petty Park

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Romanda Lacasey Thompson, 33, was arrested yesterday and charged with the beating death of a 49-year-old homeless man near Tom Petty Park.

The victim’s body was discovered behind a piece of machinery in the 200 block of NE 16th Avenue at about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday; the body had visible injuries, including bruises, swelling, and lacerations on his face and hands.

Surveillance video from the Circle K at 1515 N. Main Street reportedly showed Thompson in the area around 1:00 a.m., wearing a blue jacket and a white feather in his hair. The arrest report notes that Gainesville Police Department detectives recognized Thompson “due to conducting a prior homicide investigation where he was the suspect.” The incident report number indicated that the prior homicide occurred in 2024.

Surveillance video reportedly captured the entire incident, including the feather in Thompson’s hair, and drag marks and a blood trail were reportedly found at the scene.

The report states that Thompson attacked the victim at his campsite near Tom Petty Park, incapacitated the victim, then dragged him, still struggling, behind a piece of heavy machinery about 50 feet away from the campsite. The victim was reportedly still conscious and grabbed the tires to try to pull away from Thompson. The heavy machinery concealed the incident from passersby on NE 16th Avenue, and Thompson allegedly beat the victim to death, stomping on his face and strangling him.

At 2:32 p.m. on Wednesday, Thompson was reportedly found outside his mother’s home in the 700 block of NW 29th Place. He reportedly had blood stains on his shoes, and the blue jacket was in plain view in a vehicle parked outside the house.

Post Miranda, Thompson reportedly “made a number of confusing, conflicting statements about his whereabouts overnight,” but he said he bought a pizza from the Little Caesars on Main Street after dark and then went around the corner and met with “a guy.” He reportedly identified himself on the Circle K surveillance video. When he was shown a picture of the victim, he reportedly said he had seen him “downtown,” then later denied recognizing him. He reportedly declined to answer further questions.

Thompson has been charged with first-degree murder. He has a juvenile conviction from 2008 and two adult misdemeanor convictions (none violent). Since his last conviction in 2018 (for driving without a valid license), charges of domestic battery, trespassing, petit theft, battery on a person over 65, grand theft of a vehicle, driving without a license, and battery were dropped. The incidents include an arrest in 2022 for hitting an 82-year-old relative and an arrest last month for punching his landlord.

Judge Thomas Jaworski ordered Thompson held without bond, and the State Attorney’s Office filed notice of their intention to file a motion for pre-trial detention within three days.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.