NORTH PORT, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida man is accused of brutally murdering his adoptive parents and fleeing from officers at the scene.
Dima Tower, 22, was arrested Sept. 1, in Sarasota County. He’s accused of killing Robbie James Tower and Jennifer Christine Tower the day before.
This Sept. 1, 2023, booking photo provided by the North Point Police Department shows Dima Tower. (North Point Police Department)
According to court documents obtained by Court TV, police were called to the Tower residence when a neighbor reported a female knocking on their door, “screaming, ‘I need help, I need help.'” The neighbor said the woman was gone when they answered the door, but there was “a large amount of blood on the front steps.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they spotted Dima “with visible blood, shutting the trunk of a black vehicle.” Dima allegedly fled the scene, initiating a pursuit. His vehicle was ultimately “forced to a stop” on the interstate and he fled into the woods, evading authorities.
At the Tower residence, officers found the bodies of Robbie and Jennifer “lying head-to-head, face down on the floor in the living room” covered in blood. An arrest affidavit describes blood throughout the home, including the master bedroom and kitchen.
Dima was arrested at a Shell Gas station in North Venice the following day. He was booked on two counts of murder.
According to Fox News, Dima was adopted from Ukraine as a teenager. The couple reportedly met Dima during a series of mission trips.
Scripps News Fort Myers reports Dima has a history of domestic violence dating back to 2018.
