DeLand Suspect's Father Wins $100,000 Bond on Accessory Charge

Q: What drove a father to allegedly burn clothing and hide a weapon after a downtown drug deal turned fatal?

What appears to have driven the father, according to investigators, was an effort to protect his 17-year-old son after a drug deal behind DeLand’s Athens Theatre allegedly turned into a robbery and fatal shooting. Police say Keyan Rundell told others that he had gone to sell marijuana to Dustin Rose and Samson Campbell when the two allegedly tried to rob him, with one reportedly armed and the other carrying pepper spray. Investigators say Rundell then shot both teens. A witness told police Rundell later panicked, said he had left the gun at the scene, and called his father, Daytron Etkins. From there, detectives allege Etkins shifted into cleanup mode. Court records and affidavits say he helped retrieve the discarded weapon, conceal or destroy evidence, and assist Rundell in avoiding police. Surveillance and search-warrant findings at the Eustis home reportedly showed burned clothing in a grill, use of an accelerant, and efforts to block the camera’s view while items were being destroyed. The known evidence points less to a clearly stated motive from Etkins himself than to a parental decision to shield his son from arrest and prosecution. Police have not publicly described any broader motive beyond that alleged assistance after the killings. Etkins has been charged with accessory after the fact, and authorities have emphasized that a family relationship does not excuse interfering with a homicide investigation.

3 articles · Updated · WFTV Orlando · Aug 8

$100,000 bond was set for Daytron W. Etkins, 41, after a Lake County judge heard his first appearance on an accessory-after-the-fact charge.
DeLand police say Etkins knowingly helped his son, double-homicide suspect Keyan Rundell, after the killings and took steps to help him avoid law enforcement.
Friday's arrest in Eustis came with help from Lake County agencies, and investigators also served a search warrant at Etkins' Bates Avenue home.
DeLand police said they developed probable cause that Etkins assisted Rundell, but have not released further details as the double-homicide investigation remains active.