Investigators say a tank top, hose, pickup truck and trailer became central evidence after Jeffrey Hubbard died.
VENICE, Fla. — A Florida man accused of killing his employer also tried to clean the scene and move the body, police said, turning an early-morning fight call into a murder and evidence-tampering case.
Richard Dustin Barker, 42, is charged in the death of Jeffrey Hubbard, 67, who police found unresponsive outside 234 Grove St. S. on April 6. Investigators said Barker worked for Hubbard at the business and admitted responsibility after officers arrived. The case now turns on both the killing itself and what police say Barker did afterward.
The evidence-tampering allegation starts with the minutes after the attack. Police said Barker tried to remove items from Hubbard’s pockets, clean blood from the sidewalk with a hose and move Hubbard’s body. He first tried to use a pickup truck, investigators said, then left the location and returned with a trailer. A witness had already reported seeing two men fighting outside the property and one man dragging the other toward a pickup. By the time officers arrived, Hubbard was behind the trailer, and Barker was still at the scene.
The alleged murder weapon was not a gun or knife, but a white tank top. Police said officers found the shirt bloody and wrapped around Hubbard’s neck. Detectives said Barker told them he used it as a ligature. He also allegedly said he wore a motorcycle helmet for protection during the attack. The affidavit says Hubbard fought back and scratched Barker’s face under the helmet visor. Those details, if admitted in court, may help prosecutors connect physical injuries, clothing and the scene to Barker’s alleged statements.
Officers were dispatched at about 6:02 a.m. after the report of a fight. When they reached South Grove Street, police and Venice Fire Rescue tried life-saving measures on Hubbard. He died at the scene. The city later said the official cause and manner of death would be determined by the medical examiner and released later. That finding remains important because prosecutors must prove how Hubbard died, while the defense can test whether the physical evidence supports the state’s theory.
Barker’s reported words at the scene may become another major part of the case. Police said he exited the vehicle, placed his hands on his head and said he had killed Hubbard. Investigators said the statement was captured on a body-worn camera. Police Chief Andy Leisenring said the arrest followed a careful review of the evidence and consultation with the State Attorney’s Office. The chief also said, “This arrest marks the third murder arrest our department has made in the past six months.”
The alleged plan to move the body to Port Charlotte adds another layer to the case. Investigators said Barker told detectives he intended to bury Hubbard in an unidentified area there. Port Charlotte is south of Venice in Charlotte County, meaning the alleged plan would have moved the body away from the place where the attack happened. Police did not say how far Barker got with that plan beyond returning with the trailer. Officers arrived before Hubbard was removed from the Grove Street area.
The relationship between Barker and Hubbard gives the case its workplace frame. Police said Hubbard employed Barker at the incident location. The affidavit says Barker went to the site intending to kill Hubbard, but public records released so far do not lay out a detailed motive. Investigators have not said whether there had been earlier threats, a money dispute, a firing, a personal conflict or another cause. That gap matters because motive is often used to help explain a case, even when it is not always required to prove a charge.
The charge of second-degree murder is different from first-degree murder, even though the affidavit describes planning. Prosecutors filed a count that alleges murder without the specific first-degree charge of premeditated killing. The public record does not explain all charging decisions. Prosecutors can evaluate facts, available proof and legal standards as a case develops. Barker also faces a count tied to tampering with evidence in a criminal proceeding. Both charges will be handled through Sarasota County court.
The Grove Street scene offered investigators several physical points to examine. A red pickup truck and trailer were part of the police account. The sidewalk, the hose, the tank top and the area where Hubbard was found were all relevant to the narrative described in the affidavit. Police also had a witness account and officer body camera footage. The city’s Criminal Investigations Division handles homicides and major offenses, and its criminalistics function is responsible for the care and control of evidence gathered by the department.
Leisenring’s statement tried to balance reassurance with a warning that serious crime can occur even in a city known for quieter streets and coastal tourism. “While Venice is a safe community, we want the public to understand that serious crime does occur,” he said. Police also said the incident was believed to be isolated, and there was no ongoing threat to the public. That public safety statement limited the case to the relationship and scene described by investigators rather than a broader threat.
The case is likely to move next through routine but important steps: first appearances, appointment or appearance of defense counsel, discovery, motions and medical examiner findings. The body-worn camera statement may be reviewed by lawyers. Barker’s alleged interview statements may be challenged or weighed for admissibility. Physical evidence from the scene may be tested, photographed and introduced through witnesses if the case moves toward trial.
The human facts remain simple beneath the legal detail. Hubbard went to or was at the workplace before dawn and did not survive. Barker, who police say worked for him, was arrested the same day. The trailer, which police say was brought back after the attack, became the object that tied the witness account to the attempted movement of the body. That is why the case is not only about the killing, but also about what police say happened in the minutes after it.
As of the latest public information, Barker remains accused of second-degree murder and evidence tampering, while Hubbard’s official cause and manner of death await final release. The next major updates are expected through the medical examiner, the Venice Police Department or Sarasota County court records.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.