(May 1, 2024) — John William Tolbert (DOB 12/08/1965) was arrested in West Moreland County, Pennsylvania and is now charged with Manslaughter with a Weapon.
On April 16th, 2024 at 1:44 PM, officers working for the Cape Coral Police Department responded to a home in Northwest Cape Coral for reports of a patient in cardiac arrest.
When officers arrived at the home with Lee County EMS, they found a very faint pulse. The victim, identified as Francis G. Tolbert (DOB 10/5/1952), was bleeding from the back of his head from unknown causes at that point. Soon after, the patient was declared deceased.
While collecting information at the residence, officers found a shell casing near the victim, leading them to believe the victim’s injuries were not from a medical event.
Our Violent Crimes Detectives immediately launched an investigation due to the circumstances suggesting foul play. The medical examiner’s office completed an autopsy and preliminary reports revealed a bullet fragment in Francis Tolbert’s head. John Tolbert, Francis’s brother, was named a Person of Interest in Francis’s death.
On April 30th, 2024, John Tolbert was pulled over for a traffic infraction by Pennsylvania State Troopers in West Moreland County, PA. He was ultimately arrested on the Cape Coral Police Department’s original warrant for Manslaughter with a Weapon in violation of Florida State Statute 782.07(2b) enhanced by 775.087.
