Authorities say a welfare check led investigators to a homicide case and an early-morning chase that ended in Sebastian.
OKEECHOBEE, FL — An 88-year-old Okeechobee County veteran was found dead on his property in what investigators described as a homicide, and his 35-year-old grandson was taken into custody Thursday after deputies pursued the victim’s missing truck in Indian River County, authorities said.
Paul Eugene Baker, a longtime Okeechobee County resident, was found after a family member became concerned when she had not seen or spoken with him for several days, according to Okeechobee County sheriff’s officials. Investigators identified Baker’s grandson, Earl Douglas Wadlington III, as their primary suspect. As of the latest public reports, authorities were working with prosecutors to obtain a warrant charging Wadlington in connection with Baker’s death. The cause and manner of the killing and a possible motive had not been publicly detailed.
The investigation began Oct. 12 when Baker’s daughter-in-law contacted authorities and reported that she had been unable to reach him. She lived nearby and went to check his residence, where she found the home in disarray, Okeechobee County Chief Deputy Michael Hazellief said during a joint news conference Thursday. Hazellief said the condition of the home and Baker’s absence were highly unusual. Deputies obtained a search warrant and later found Baker dead on the property. Hazellief said the circumstances in which Baker was found made investigators believe immediately that they were dealing with a homicide.
Investigators also discovered that Baker’s only vehicle was gone and that property was missing from the residence. Authorities said Wadlington had recently been staying with his grandfather. Baker’s daughter-in-law, who authorities said held power of attorney for him, helped investigators identify the missing truck so it could be entered into law-enforcement systems as stolen. Officials also associated the vehicle with a person of interest in the homicide investigation.
Okeechobee County investigators used automated license plate readers to determine that the truck had left the county. Hazellief said authorities did not immediately issue a broad public alert because investigators wanted the person driving the vehicle to remain in it, increasing the chance that police could continue tracking it. Early Thursday, the truck triggered a Flock Safety license plate reader in Indian River County near Sebastian, prompting deputies there to begin searching for it.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said deputies located the truck at about 4 a.m. and tried to stop it. Authorities said the driver fled, leading deputies on a pursuit that included a Walmart parking lot. Officers deployed stop sticks along the route, damaging the truck’s tires. The pursuit continued until the vehicle stopped near a boat ramp in Sebastian. Authorities said Wadlington then left the truck and ran into a wooded area before officers took him into custody. Sebastian police also assisted in the apprehension.
Video released by Indian River County authorities showed portions of the pursuit and the effort to arrest Wadlington. Flowers credited the automated license plate reader network with alerting deputies that the wanted vehicle had entered the county. The case comes as the use of such camera systems has faced scrutiny in Florida, but Flowers said the technology played a direct role in allowing deputies to find the truck and make an arrest.
Wadlington was booked in Indian River County on allegations that included fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, resisting an officer without violence and driving with a suspended license, according to local officials and public reporting on the arrest. Those allegations are separate from the Okeechobee County homicide investigation. He remained jailed without bond Thursday, according to reports citing Indian River County jail records. Wadlington is presumed innocent of criminal charges unless proved guilty in court.
Authorities have released few details about Baker’s death because the investigation remains active. They have not publicly disclosed how he was killed or identified a confirmed motive. Sgt. Jack Nash, a spokesperson for the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, told local media Thursday that investigators considered Wadlington their sole suspect and described the case as an isolated domestic incident. Hazellief called the case a “family tragedy,” saying what began as a routine welfare check for an elderly veteran had become a homicide investigation.
As of Friday morning, no later public report reviewed for this story confirmed that an Okeechobee County homicide warrant had been formally served on Wadlington. Sheriff’s officials said they were working with the state attorney’s office on additional charges while investigators continued gathering evidence in Baker’s death.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.