Matthew Weldon (Photo: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
A dispute between two men who met at a Clearwater bar ended with one man dead and the other charged with his murder, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Matthew Weldon, 37, of Palm Harbor, is accused of killing Carroll Edwin Bryan, 49, of St. Petersburg.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to 302 Shore Drive in Palm Harbor at 3:36 a.m. March 21, after a 911 caller stated his neighbor told him that he killed someone. When deputies arrived on scene, they located the suspect, identified as Weldon, in front of the residence covered in blood.
Weldon, according to the statement, told deputies, “He is dead” and pointed towards the residence. The responding officers then discovered the victim, later identified as Bryan, lying on the back patio of the residence suffering from “multiple blunt force injuries to his head, neck, and arm.” Bryan was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Throughout the course of the investigation, the statement said, detectives learned Weldon and Bryan met at a local bar in Clearwater approximately two weeks ago, leading Weldon to loan a vehicle to Bryan about one week ago. Bryan apparently did not return the vehicle when he agreed to do so, and Weldon is alleged to have become upset.
Detectives say Bryan arrived at the residence with Weldon’s vehicle on May 21, 2024, and they engaged in an argument.
“Detectives say that based on the evidence at the scene, it appears that Bryan was on the rear patio of the residence when he was struck in the back of the head,” the statement said. “Bryan was then struck repeatedly while on the ground, causing additional injuries.”
Weldon sustained minor injuries and was charged with second degree murder. He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he remains in custody, jail records showed.
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