By Rick Madewell
Assistant Editor

On a blustery afternoon this past weekend, a group came together for Joshua Levi Burch. Each sign-carrying member of the group was there for a few reasons: to celebrate the young man’s life, to support his father and to raise awareness that his killer was still at large.

The vigil, attended by some 50 to 70 family members, friends and even a few who just wanted to be a part of it, was held at the exact spot where the 20-year-old was gunned down as he was driving with two friends on an early September morning. No one knows why. Speculation is that it was either random or a road rage incident. Whatever the reason, Lee Burch said his 20-year-old son – his only son – did not deserve to be shot and killed.

“This is just a ruthless person that would do this to a kid,” he said. “A shooting like this … that’s about as cold and calculating as you can get.”

Burch, of Lake Wales, said the vigil was organized in an effort to track down his son’s killer.

“I’m kind of overwhelmed with the love and support people have shown out here,” Burch said. “We’re trying to get the word out. These people over here (in Osceola County) didn’t even know Levi. We gotta just make them aware of what happened.”

Burch said authorities told him the shooting was, in all likelihood, a case of road rage but haven’t given him much more information in the case. They did indicate, however, that more tips were coming in.

According to police reports, Joshua Burch was driving a pickup truck on Pleasant Hill Road at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 5, and was about a mile from John Young Parkway when the shooting occurred.

“They were just riding around on a Saturday night,” Burch said of his son and the passengers.

When the shooting occurred, Burch said his son told his passengers he’d been “hit.”

“Then he just closed his eyes,” the father said. One of the passengers, the father said, took control of the vehicle and managed to drive it to the 7-Eleven at the corner of Pleasant Hill Road and John Young Parkway. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office was immediately notified.

Deputies said they are looking for a newer model black SUV, possibly a Nissan, and a dark-skinned or Hispanic male. Several days after the incident, deputies and detectives set up road blocks on Pleasant Hill Road and distributed approximately 7,000 Crimeline fliers. Deputies also placed road signs in the same area to bring awareness to the crime.

“He (Joshua) was a clean kid and he’d never been in trouble with the law,” the victim’s father said, adding that the shot penetrated his son’s heart.

Minnie Ingram and Cindy Little, who both live in Polk County, were two of the people who were carrying signs at the vigil.

“We’re hoping to get someone to come forward to get some answers for this,” Little said.

A cousin, Miranda Ford, 21, of Davenport, also attended the vigil.

“I’m just trying to hope that maybe we’ll find someone who … ,” she said, her voice trailing off. “He (Joshua) was a good person to everybody.”

Two of the deputies handling the investigation, Sgt. Wiley Black and Det. Irving Molina, also were at the vigil.

“We’re here supporting the family,” Black said.

“We’re wanting more people to call into Crimeline with more tips,” Molina added.

“We did receive some tips from the vigil and we are hoping more tips will come in as people see the media coverage from the event,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said Monday. “There might be some people who thought the case was solved and after seeing the vigil may realize detectives are still looking for more information.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 407-348-2222 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).