Florida Man Accused of Offering Inmate $5,000 to Kill Witness in His Case

A Florida man already sitting in jail over a neighborhood confrontation is now accused of trying to make one of the witnesses in his criminal cases disappear.

David John Butka, 69, was charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder after another inmate reported an alleged offer to kill one of Butka’s neighbors. WFTV reported, citing the probable cause affidavit, that Butka approached the inmate around Sept. 7 or 8 and offered $5,000 up front.

The alleged pitch went well beyond naming a target. The affidavit, as detailed by WFTV, says Butka supplied the neighbor’s first name, physical description, morning schedule and information for locating the person’s home. Investigators said the neighbor had served as a witness in two previous cases involving Butka.

Money also entered the picture. Investigators documented the release of Butka’s credit card to the other inmate’s wife, and $300 was later transferred from that card into the inmate’s commissary account, according to the affidavit.

A Note Surfaces

The case reached detectives after an inmate went to detention staff on Sept. 16.

Jim Vachon, public information manager for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, told WESH that the reporting inmate had taken notes and handed them over.

Investigators said one handwritten note contained Butka’s name and contact information, a description of the intended victim’s residence and instructions referring to a $5,000 upfront payment from the credit card.

The inmate Butka allegedly approached had no known relationship with the intended target outside of what he had learned while incarcerated, Inside Lake reported from the arrest affidavit.

Another inmate also became aware of the supposed arrangement. According to the affidavit, that person later asked the prospective killer whether he actually intended to follow through. Investigators said the inmate indicated that he did not.

His Version

Butka gave detectives a substantially different account.

He acknowledged discussing his pending criminal case and his credit card with the inmate, according to WFTV, but denied asking anyone to kill his neighbor.

Instead, Butka reportedly told detectives that the other inmate was the person who brought up killing the witness.

Butka said their financial discussion concerned hiring a new attorney. He told detectives he had authorized the inmate to put $2,400 on his credit card for legal expenses but denied authorizing the release of the card to the inmate’s wife. He said he believed he was being defrauded.

Detectives reviewed the case with the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office before arresting Butka on the solicitation charge, according to the affidavit.

Before The Jail

The dispute that put Butka into the criminal justice system had already spilled beyond an argument between neighbors.

On July 22, deputies responded to a Clermont neighborhood where Butka had been flying a drone near neighboring homes. The drone use had become what the probable cause affidavit described as an ongoing civil issue.

During the confrontation, a driver passed Butka’s home with a passenger-side window open. The driver told deputies that Butka pulled his arm back before something struck the side of the truck, according to the affidavit account published by WFTV.

A witness said she saw Butka throw a rock. Butka denied throwing anything and told deputies he had been flying his drone.

He was arrested on an aggravated assault charge.

Butka initially posted bond following that arrest but was later returned to jail. Leesburg-News reported that jail records showed he was recommitted on Sept. 1.

Release Interrupted

That timing put Butka back inside the Lake County Jail when the alleged murder solicitation occurred.

He was apparently close to getting out again.

Vachon told WESH that Butka had been scheduled for release when the new case intervened. The sheriff’s office spokesman said investigators were still unsure why Butka would allegedly seek the witness’s death at that point, and he did not present anger or revenge as an established motive.

The alleged target had already described a deteriorating relationship with Butka. According to the solicitation affidavit, the neighbor told investigators that Butka had previously harassed and stalked them and that his behavior had caused significant emotional distress.

Investigators notified the neighbor about the alleged plot before charging Butka.

The solicitation accusation, like the earlier aggravated assault case, remains an allegation and has not been proven in court.