Roland Henry Lanctot, a 62-year-old white male, was found dead on January 17, 2019, in Ocala, Florida. Lanctot, who had a history of military service and later worked in construction and as a vendor, was discovered inside a tent on his property located in the 3300 block of NW Blitchton Road. His body was found by his sister in a heavily wooded area, and he had been shot multiple times, including in the face, back of the head, and back.
The investigation revealed that Lanctot was a confidential informant involved in several drug transactions under the direction of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), which included deals with Kenneth Mills, the son of Allison Mells.
La'Mathis Eugene "Bread Boy" Hamilton, a 27-year-old black male, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Lanctot's death. Authorities believe Hamilton was hired by Mells to kill Lanctot to prevent him from testifying in the drug case involving her son. Hamilton allegedly received $3,000 for the murder, although he denied being the shooter. The case against Hamilton included various pieces of evidence, such as a traffic stop where a woman informed officers about Mells hiring Hamilton, a phone call from jail where Mells discussed bailing out Hamilton, and a recording implicating Hamilton as the shooter.
The trial for Hamilton began in August 2022, with a 12-member jury hearing the case. If convicted, Hamilton faced the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. During the trial, the prosecution presented a timeline of Lanctot's last known activities and the discovery of his body. They also highlighted Lanctot's role as a confidential informant and the motive behind his murder. The defense argued that there was no forensic, scientific, or physical evidence directly linking Hamilton to the crime. Despite these arguments, the jury ultimately found Hamilton guilty of first-degree murder.
Allison Mells, a 57-year-old white female, was also charged with first-degree murder and criminal solicitation to commit murder. Her trial was scheduled to follow Hamilton's. The investigation into Lanctot's death involved multiple suspects, and authorities believed that several individuals played significant roles in the murder. The case remained under investigation, with the names of other possible suspects being withheld.
Lanctot's death highlighted the dangers faced by confidential informants and the lengths to which individuals involved in criminal activities might go to silence witnesses. The case drew attention to the challenges law enforcement agencies face in protecting informants and ensuring their safety while they assist in criminal investigations.
