A Ukrainian adopted child rescued from a prison-like orphanage by a strict religious American couple has been charged with murder in Florida.
Dima Tower, 21, allegedly stabbed his adoptive parents Robbie Tower, 49, and Jennifer Tower, 51, at their home in North Port, Florida, on Friday before leading police on an eight-hour manhunt that ended with his arrest Saturday morning .
According to local news outlet WinkNews, the Christian missionary couple, who also worked as real estate agents in the area, were found lying head to head, surrounded by blood, on their living room floor.
Tributes have been paid to the “caring” couple who adopted Tower seven years ago from an orphanage where he was beaten and “wounded”.
While relatives say the deeply religious parents tried to shower him with love, Tower struggled to fit in and reportedly exhibited disturbing, violent behavior before the murders.
21-year-old Dima Tower allegedly stabbed his “caring” parents to death seven years after they adopted him from a prison-like Ukrainian orphanage
Robbie (left) and Jennifer Tower are said to have showered their adopted son with love and bought him everything “he wanted or needed”.
Rob Tower’s mother said the couple spent “their entire savings” to adopt the boy. The trio pictured above celebrated joining their family seven years ago
Police arrived at the Tower home in Florida on Friday evening after a neighbor reported someone was banging on her door and screaming for help. When the resident opened the door, the woman was gone, but they found blood splatters on the floor.
After police rushed to the scene, they allegedly found Tower outside the home with blood on his clothing as he closed the trunk of his car.
Police allege he ignored their orders to freeze before jumping into the car and speeding away, leading officers on a high-speed chase.
The daring getaway almost came to an end when he hit spike strips on I-75, but police say he fled on foot and hid in a wooded area. The suspect remained at large for nearly eight hours before being tracked down and taken into custody on Saturday morning.
Investigators found the couple, who both worked as real estate agents, seemingly head to head on the blood-covered living room floor.
Police have not revealed a motive for the killings. Investigators believe the attack took some time as the home was filled with several large pools of blood, which local reports said were found in the master bedroom, on the living room couches, on the inside of the front door and in the kitchen.
Relatives said Dima had difficulty adjusting to his life in America and that he got into fights at school because he wanted to “hurt” people
Family members said the couple’s response to Dima’s difficulties was to shower him with love and welcome him into their family
Police have not yet established a motive for the shocking murders and a neighbor said Dima was “his mother’s world”.
Robbie Towers’ uncle, Warren Rines, told the New York Post that the couple, who were unable to have children of their own, were devout Christians who showered their son with love and attention.
“It just doesn’t make sense, none of us understand the hate.” They were the only people in his life who ever tried to help him. They treated him like their own son,” he said.
“They were two really good, caring people,” he added, noting that the couple had traveled to Ukraine several times on Christian missions.
Rines claimed the alleged murders were not the first time Towers had attacked his adoptive parents, claiming his nephew called the police three years ago after the Ukrainian left him with a black eye.
The incident prompted Robbie to send his son away to relatives for a period of time before insisting he return home because “they had forgiven him for everything.”
They decided to adopt their alleged killer seven years ago to save the then 14-year-old from a prison-like orphanage, Rines said.
“He would have been bruised in the orphanage,” he continued. “When they went out to eat, he would happily eat six hot dogs. He didn’t get much to eat. “These orphanages are like a prison for children.”
The 21-year-old was caught by police after an almost eight-hour manhunt
Police rushed to the family’s home in North Port, Florida, where the suspect led police on a high-speed chase and remained at large for nearly eight hours
Investigators said there were several large pools of blood around the house, indicating the attack may have occurred over a long, hectic period of time
Despite his sad past, the couple believed they could help him by welcoming him into their family. However, he reportedly had difficulty fitting in and often got into fights at school.
“When I first met him, he was interested in boxing,” Rines said. “But he didn’t want to box. He wanted to strike. He wanted to hurt.’
He added that their Florida home wasn’t “all bad” as the murdered parents never stopped showering him with love despite Tower’s behavior.
“I think the kid just had a lot of hate in him before he came here. “And I guess you take it out on those closest to you,” he said, adding that they “buy everything.” would have what he wanted or needed,” including the car in which he supposedly wanted to escape.
Before he was adopted seven years ago, Tower was housed in a prison-like orphanage where his relatives said he was beaten and “hurt.”
Neighbor Ann-Marie Lidinsky said the alleged murders came as a shock as the family appeared to be happy
Those who knew the murdered couple have expressed their grief at their loss. Robbie’s mother Debbie Tower said on Facebook: “They spent their entire savings adopting him and this is how he is paying them back.”
“I don’t really know how I’m going to get through this…Rob and Jen weren’t just my kids, they were my best friends and we did everything together,” she said.
It’s unclear how many children the couple adopted, but Debbie said they “constantly made time for the boys to do fun things.”
Neighbor Ann-Marie Lidinsky told Fox13 Tampa Bay that the alleged murders stunned the local community as the family seemed happy and the parents “sacrificed a lot” for him.
“He was adopted and was his mother’s world, he meant everything to her… It definitely won’t be the same without her.”