Christopher Patrick Hunter, a 36-year-old white male, was tragically found dead on January 18, 2017, in Naples, Florida. His body, along with that of his brother, Thomas Anthony Hunter, 41, was discovered in a burned 2002 Mercury Mountaineer in Golden Gate Estates. The Collier County Medical Examiner's Office determined that both brothers had suffered fatal gunshot wounds before the vehicle was set on fire. Witnesses in the neighborhood reported hearing gunshots between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
on January 17, 2017. Investigators found a spent 7.62 mm shell casing, consistent with an assault rifle, outside the SUV, along with rifle-type ammunition inside the vehicle. Additionally, a bag of pills and a box of matches were found near the burned car, and it was determined that gasoline was used as an accelerant to start the fire.
The investigation revealed that the brothers were likely killed during a drug deal gone wrong. On the night of January 17, Thomas Hunter's wife reported that the brothers were on their way to conduct a narcotics transaction. A man had visited their home in a white or silver Kia Soul to buy drugs but had forgotten his wallet. Christopher Hunter, visibly upset, agreed to follow the man to his house to complete the transaction. This man was later identified as Zachary Anderson, a 24-year-old white male, who had been driving his mother's Kia Soul in the days leading up to the murders. Anderson and his mother lived on 20th Avenue Northwest, near the crime scene.
Zachary Anderson was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, manslaughter, and arson in connection with the deaths of Christopher and Thomas Hunter. He was initially held at the Naples Jail Center on an unrelated probation violation charge before being served with an arrest warrant for the murders. The Collier County Grand Jury later indicted Anderson on two first-degree murder charges. The investigation also involved the Sheriff's Office dive team, which searched a canal near the crime scene and found Christopher Hunter's wallet.
The case against Anderson was built on a combination of physical evidence, witness statements, and forensic analysis. The State Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations determined that the fire was intentionally set and that the person responsible would likely have been burned in the process. The tragic deaths of Christopher Patrick Hunter and his brother Thomas Anthony Hunter highlight the dangers associated with illegal drug transactions and the devastating impact such crimes can have on families and communities.
