Port Orange Police Department offering reward for murder suspect

Thomas McMullen Jr. is a known narcotics user and frequents West International Speedway Boulevard.


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  • | 4:10 p.m. August 30, 2018
  • Ormond Beach Observer
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Port Orange Police Department is offering up to $5,000 through Crime Stoppers for information on Thomas McMullen Jr., the suspect in 32-year-old Diana Kessler’s death.

Kessler was found dead Monday evening. Autopsy results revealed she was stabbed more than 100 times and critically hit on the head, according to a police department press release. She also had multiple defensive wounds, which indicate she fought against her attacker.

Detectives said McMullen is known narcotics user who frequents International Speedway Boulevard and may still be in the East Volusia area.

Anyone with details on McMullen’s location is encouraged to call the POPD Tip line at 386-506-5878, Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS, police central dispatch at 386-248-1777 or 911.

McMullen’s parents, Thomas Sr. and Linda, hope their son is found soon.

“I hope they catch my son, and I hope he never sees the light of day,” Thomas Sr. said.

Thomas Sr. and his wife were 1,200 miles away on vacation when they received a call that a dead body was found in their home.

Their neighbor was checking on their cat when he found Kessler and called the police.

Thomas Sr. said people have called and sent threatening messages on social media to him, his wife and other family members, accusing them of harboring their son. However, they do not know where he is, or why he was in their home.

Before they left, they told their Thomas Jr. to leave. They also changed the locks to their home and code to their garage.

They didn’t know anything about Kessler, other than she went to the same high school as their son and that they were friends.

 

 

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