Mustafa Connelly, a 38-year-old man from Leesburg, FL, tragically lost his life on December 17, 2021. On that evening, law enforcement received a distressing call reporting that someone had been shot and set on fire in a lot locally known as “the Car Wash” on Veech Road. Upon arrival, deputies found Connelly's lifeless body, badly burned and with multiple gunshot wounds, lying next to an orange Hyundai. The vehicle was registered to Connelly’s brother.
The scene indicated that Connelly had been ambushed, shot multiple times, and then set ablaze using an accelerant to conceal evidence and the perpetrator's identity.
The investigation revealed that Connelly had been meeting with Darion Dontae McGee, also known as “Trey Way,” in the days leading up to his death. McGee, 30, was later identified as the prime suspect. Evidence collected at the scene, including multiple 9mm and .45 caliber shell casings and a latent palm print on the Hyundai, pointed to McGee's involvement. Connelly's girlfriend confirmed that he had been in contact with McGee to discuss a robbery, which ultimately led to the fatal encounter.
McGee was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, arson, and additional counts of video voyeurism. The arrest report detailed how McGee lured Connelly to the location under the pretense of a robbery, ambushed him, and then set his body on fire to hide his involvement. This was not McGee's first encounter with the law; he was also a suspect in a separate arson case from March 2021, where another victim was found burned in a vehicle. McGee's ties to the Nine Trey gang, a violent faction within The Bloods, further underscored the dangerous nature of his criminal activities.
The case against McGee is ongoing, with significant evidence linking him to Connelly's murder. The Lake County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, conducted an extensive investigation, interviewing numerous witnesses and analyzing text messages between Connelly and McGee. This thorough investigation led to McGee's arrest and the charges he now faces. The community of Leesburg continues to grapple with the violent loss of Mustafa Connelly, as the legal proceedings against McGee unfold.
