Body previously found at Plantation home before house party shooting

Decomposing body of Earth Lee McCray, 51, found by cousin, police say

PLANTATION, Fla. ā€“ The body of a man was found last year at a Plantation home owned by Boss Group Ministries, which was also the scene of a fatal shooting over the weekend, police records show.

According to an incident report, a cousin of Earth Lee McCray, 51, found McCray dead June 15 inside his bedroom at the home in the 12000 block of Northwest Fourth Court that was offered to him by the organization.

"He was living there because he didn't have anywhere else to go," McCray's other cousin, Regina Shaw, said. "They were helping him. They were giving him a place to live."

John Shaw, 64, said he went to the home after he hadn't heard from his cousin in two months.

Shaw told police that he knocked on McCray's door, which was locked, and he kicked in the door when McCray didn't answer.

"On that day, he said that he smelled an odor and he kicked a door down, and when he went in there he (McCray) was dead," Regina Shaw, said.

John Shaw immediately called 911 after finding McCray's body on the bed. Police said McCray was lying in the fetal position with his face in the mattress. His body was in the advance stages of decomposition and he had a large amount of maggots and flies on his body.

Police said there was a large amount of bodily fluid on the bed and on the floor surrounding the bed.

According to the report, officers found multiple 2-liter soda bottles filled with urine inside the room and a bucket of feces.

Shaw told detectives that McCray had a medical history of HIV. McCray's body was removed from the home and a man who also lived there was questioned by detectives.

Police said the man, Kurt Marin, 66, was initially evasive, but eventually cooperated with the investigation and was allowed back into the home after officers determined that no one else was inside.

The Medical Examiner's Office determined that McCray died from health complications.

The home owned by Boss Group Ministries was also the scene of a fatal shooting Saturday night.

Police said someone organized a party at the home called "(Expletive)Ā What Happens Tonight," which was advertised on social media. Police were called to the home just before midnight Saturday after receiving a noise complaint when the gunshots rang out inside.

Serge Pierre Dumas, 28, was found dead inside the home and four others were injured in the shooting.

Witnesses told Local 10 News that the home was unfurnished and appeared as though someone was moving out.

No arrests have been made and police said they are still working to determine who organized the party, although Boss Group Ministries owner Maurice Symonette, 56, is known to throw large parties.

Symonette refused to speak to Local 10 News reporter Terrell Forney on Tuesday.

"I don't want to talk about it," Symonette told Forney. "I don't want to be on the news."

"Your name is tied to Boss Group Ministries as being the owner. Did you rent out the property?" Forney asked.

"No," Symonette said.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.