County Record uncovers deception in McLemore death investigation

News Editor Kelli Peacock Dunn met with two FDLE investigators earlier this month and turned over reports she received following a public records request to the Washington County Health Department.

After learning that state employee Michael Collins, 41, of Bristol, admitted to FDLE during a July 16 interview that he had been involved with McLemore’s wife, Winter, at the time of his death, The County Record decided to investigate whether any tax dollars were spent on the affair. Collins, who was previously based at the Liberty County Health Department, but has been at the Washington County Health Department since earlier this year, is known to travel frequently with his job, so travel vouchers and cell phone records were requested.

Collins covers the Northwest Florida region leading a grant-funded Teen Outreach Program with the purpose of helping students make wise choices in an effort to reduce the teen pregnancy rate. He frequently observes classes and assists teachers offering the curriculum to ninth grade students.

In Collins’ statement to FDLE investigators, he offered that he was in Milton, Florida, observing classes at Pace High School on April 2-4. Collins said he observed classes daily, Monday through Wednesday, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., then attended management meetings at the hotel from 5 to 7 p.m. He added that he was not in Liberty County the night of Wednesday, April 4, when Tranum McLemore died, claiming he stayed over in Milton and spent that night at the same hotel.

Examining his travel receipts, The County Record learned Collins actually checked out of the hotel on April 4. His travel voucher noted he was back in Chipley and bound for home at 5:30 p.m.

Collins further remarked in his original statement to FDLE that, while at the hotel the night of April 4, he had called his wife from his cell phone. However, she says she did not receive any incoming calls from him. His wife reports Collins actually returned to their Bristol home that evening, but left at some point to get gas for a business trip to Tallahassee the next day.

Collins was also deceptive in another part of his statement to FDLE, remarking that he had only a brief one-line text exchange with Winter the morning of April 5, saying he was there if she needed to talk, to which she replied, “Thanks.” He added he did not see her until a week or two later and, when they finally were together, she told him very little about the incident the night of April 4. However, cell phone records examined by The County Record reveal Collins called Winter the morning after her husband died and talked for five minutes.

The County Record has since requested text message records from the Washington County Health Department. This information was not included on the cell phone bills the agency provided.

Another disturbing aspect of the examination of the phone and travel records is the fact Collins was clearly not doing state business as often as he claimed, although he was being paid with tax dollars.

For instance, Collins began claiming travel at 1 p.m. on Sunday, checking into the hotel that day. His office is based in Chipley, just an hour and a half from Milton. The early arrival suggested he had business to conduct right away, requiring a Sunday night hotel and food bill on the taxpayers’ dime. However, cell phone records reveal he made and received calls to two different women throughout the morning Monday. He finally took a break from calls at 10:45 a.m., indicating his state business may have begun at that point and raising the question of why taxpayers had to pay for his overnight trip if work did not start before that time.

Calls resumed again at 3:27 p.m. and continued during the 5 to 7 p.m. hours when he told FDLE he was in a management meeting. Calls stopped at 6:04 p.m. and resumed again at 7:48 p.m., with a third woman added to the mix.

During the day on Tuesday, April 3, Collins took a break from the phone after 8 a.m., but began another round of calls at 12:11 p.m. that continued through the afternoon during the time he claimed to have been observing classes at Pace. He spoke with four different women, including Winter, on into the evening, with phone calls again during the 5 to 7 p.m. window he claimed were spent at management meetings. Incidentally, the bill for this tax dollar funded trip was over $450.

FDLE is investigating why Collins allegedly lied during their interview. An update will be provided as soon as it is available.