Trump-Supporting Man Murdered by His Employee in Politically Motivated Attack: Police
Politics turned deadly in Florida this week as a staunch Trump supporter was killed by a co-worker after an argument about politics.
Mason Toney, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of William Steven Knight on Monday, according to USA Today.
The Associated Press reported that Knight was an “outspoken American” and “pro-Donald Trump,” according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.
Meanwhile, Toney was described as “anti-government and very outspoken in his beliefs that the government is bad and out to get him.”
Mason Toney, 28, was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of William Knight on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. https://t.co/QAE0dFeYEY
— Florida Times-Union (@jaxdotcom) January 22, 2020
Police were told that Knight picked up Toney to drive him to a job site, but that they argued over politics on the way, WESH-TV reported.
At a Florida Turnpike job site in Orlando, co-workers said they heard Knight yelling for help.
When they reached Knight, they saw him being stabbed, and Toney was standing over him with a trowel.
The workers told police they threw things at Toney to make him stop but backed off when he appeared to brandish what they thought was a knife. As Toney drove off, the workers who spoke to police said he called them terrorists.
When the workers reached Knight’s body, they found a brand new American flag and the packaging that it had been in.
The construction workers told police that Toney had come to work with a backpack, which was not common, according to the affidavit said.
OCSO Homicide Unit is searching for Mason Trever Toney (28).
He is wanted for the murder of his employer at a construction site off Turnpike exit 254. He fled the area driving a white Dodge Ram w/ FLTag: LGZX24
He is believed to be armed & DANGEROUS. If you see him call 911 pic.twitter.com/QgsNrjlKQC— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) January 20, 2020
Toney was arrested several hours later.
During a Tuesday bail hearing, he was ordered held without bond.
The two men had known each other for years, Knight’s father, also named William, told WESH.
“He was a friend of the family. My son went to elementary school with him and to middle school and high school,” Knight said.
“He would give his shirt off his back to anybody, feed anybody,” he said about his son.
The victim’s mother, Julia Knight, told WKMG-TV, “I can’t explain what happened to my son. I don’t understand. I never thought Mason would do this to my son.”
Both of Knight’s parents said Toney had been going through difficult times.
Blair Hester, William Steven Knight’s girlfriend, told reporters, “All he did was want to help [Toney], that’s all. He was just trying to give him a chance, even though we all told him he didn’t seem right. He’s like, ‘It’s OK, I’m going to help him.'”
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