It was phone records that led police to the man accused of killing a Douglasville great-grandmother inside her apartment, police said Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators believe Odes Dupree tied up 75-year-old Florene Duke inside her apartment before stealing her television sets. While inside her apartment, Dupree allegedly called an Atlanta drug dealer to get help removing the televisions, Lt. James Harrell with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Dupree, 53, has been charged with murder, burglary and robbery in the death of Duke, found dead in her Selman Drive apartment on Nov. 10. She had been tied up and her face covered, leaving her unable to breathe and causing her death on the floor of her bedroom, according to police.
Dupree was denied bond Wednesday afternoon in Douglas County Superior Court, one day after his arrest. It was phone calls Dupree allegedly made from Duke’s phone that gave investigators the break in the case, Harrell said.
“We noted some unusual phone activity on her phone, and through subpoenas and court orders, we were able to track that down to a drug dealer in Atlanta,” Harrell said.
That drug dealer, whose name was not released, was arrested, Harrell said. And that dealer led police to Dupree, he said. Duke’s televisions were found in the drug dealer’s apartment with Dupree’s fingerprints, Harrell said.
Dupree has denied killing Duke, but was remorseful for her death, Harrell said. Investigators believe Dupree, who was staying in a nearby townhome, had been in Duke’s apartment prior to the day she was found dead, Douglasville police Chief Chris Womack said.
According to Douglas County jail records, Dupree was released Oct. 31 after serving three weeks for a probation violation. In the spring, Dupree spent six weeks in jail following an arrest on a theft charge, according to booking records.
Prosecutors have not decided whether they will seek the death penalty, Assistant DA Ryan Leonard said.
Duke, who would have turned 76 on Christmas Day, was married to her husband for 50 years until his death in 2007. She is survived by numerous relatives, including four grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, her obituary stated.
About the Author
