Longtime Florida strawberry grower murdered at his home
Longtime Florida strawberry grower murdered at his home
Growers face many risks in running their businesses, but facing a man with a gun on their own property should never be one of them.
Longtime Florida strawberry grower Bruce White, 61, was shot to death in the foyer of his home on his Durant farm on the morning of Jan. 9. According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Mr. White went to answer a knock at his front door at approximately 6 a.m. Mr. Whites wife Frances, who was in a different part of the home when the incident occurred, told officers that she heard what sounded like gunshots and found her husband on the floor just inside the doorway.
Before he died, Mr. White was able to give his wife a description of his assailant, a white man in need of a shave, the release said.
"Nobody understands it right now," said Robert Wilson, president of Wilson & Sons Sales Inc. and Mr. Whites sales agent for over a dozen years. There is no motive and no perpetrator as of yet. Its truly a mystery.
Though he stayed in his own world, Mr. Wilson described Mr. White as a super grower and one of the hardest-working and intelligent business people youll ever want to meet, and not too many people knew him that way. He worked his tail off.
Mr. Wilson said that Mr. White had grown strawberries and spring vegetables since the mid-1970s on approximately 50 acres of land, and during that time had received several production awards from the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. Mr. White had also recently doubled his acreage to 100, Mr. Wilson noted.
According to Mr. Wilson, Mr. Whites family, including his wife, daughter and grandson, were all active in the family-run business and were pulling together to fill the void left by Mr. Whites death, which occurred in the heart of the strawberry-growing season.
The family is working right now to get things taken care of and continue the legacy, Mr. Wilson said.
Longtime Florida strawberry grower Bruce White, 61, was shot to death in the foyer of his home on his Durant farm on the morning of Jan. 9. According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Mr. White went to answer a knock at his front door at approximately 6 a.m. Mr. Whites wife Frances, who was in a different part of the home when the incident occurred, told officers that she heard what sounded like gunshots and found her husband on the floor just inside the doorway.
Before he died, Mr. White was able to give his wife a description of his assailant, a white man in need of a shave, the release said.
"Nobody understands it right now," said Robert Wilson, president of Wilson & Sons Sales Inc. and Mr. Whites sales agent for over a dozen years. There is no motive and no perpetrator as of yet. Its truly a mystery.
Though he stayed in his own world, Mr. Wilson described Mr. White as a super grower and one of the hardest-working and intelligent business people youll ever want to meet, and not too many people knew him that way. He worked his tail off.
Mr. Wilson said that Mr. White had grown strawberries and spring vegetables since the mid-1970s on approximately 50 acres of land, and during that time had received several production awards from the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. Mr. White had also recently doubled his acreage to 100, Mr. Wilson noted.
According to Mr. Wilson, Mr. Whites family, including his wife, daughter and grandson, were all active in the family-run business and were pulling together to fill the void left by Mr. Whites death, which occurred in the heart of the strawberry-growing season.
The family is working right now to get things taken care of and continue the legacy, Mr. Wilson said.
