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Man charged with second degree murder in Suncoast stabbing

By CHUCK BALLARO - | Oct 14, 2020

news@breezenewspapers.com

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a North Fort Myers man now charged in the stabbing death of a resident of Suncoast Estates Wednesday morning.

Rudolph Askew, 38, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with second-degree murder.

LCSO deputies responded to a medical call at the 2000 block of Zoysia Lane, where they found a deceased male with a stab wound lying in the driveway, according to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno at a short news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit came and investigated.

According to the arrest report, investigators learned the victim and Askew had an argument around 6:30 a.m. During the argument, Askew was armed with a knife and stabbed the victim, officials said.

The injured man ran out of the residence, towards the front gate, with Askew in pursuit. He soon collapsed and became unresponsive.

A witness told deputies they saw a man fleeing the area on foot shortly after the victim became unresponsive. The witness provided deputies with a basic description of the fleeing suspect, according to the arrest report.

Evidence gathered then led them to Askew, Marceno said.

Askew was transported to the Lee County Jail where he remained Monday afternoon.

Bond has been set at $500,000.

The investigation is ongoing.

Marceno said the Sheriff’s Office has a good record of making arrests in homicides this year.

“Violence will not be tolerated in my county. Those who engage in this behavior will be put behind bars where they belong,” Marceno said. “We have closed out, with this arrest, 21 out of 22 documented homicide cases in 2020. We will continue to put these violent people in jail.”

According to court records, Askew has been arrested nearly 20 times in connection with crimes related to drugs, domestic violence, battery and weapons, as well as criminal traffic violations.