Danielle Cianelli

LAKE CITY, Fla. — Two suspects were arrested in the early-morning hours Friday for their roles in the death of Steven McGee.

McGee, a Branford resident, was found Monday morning along Old Spanish Road (256th Street) in southwestern Columbia County near Fort White.

Dashan Ricardo Lewis, 42, and Danielle Katherine Cianelli, 22, were arrested just after midnight Friday morning. Lewis is from Lake City, while Cianelli lived off of 256th Street in O’Brien. A third person of interest has been identified by Columbia County Sheriff’s Office detectives and efforts are underway to locate and interview him.

“I’m extremely proud of the hard work that led to these arrests,” Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said in a release. “Detectives worked tirelessly around the clock to remove these dangerous suspects from our community and to provide much needed closure and comfort to the victim’s family. We know nothing can take away the pain of losing a loved one but we strive to give every victim’s family the answers they deserve.

“We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and especially Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office for the invaluable assistance in this difficult case.”

According to a CCSO report, several acquaintances of the victim told authorities they were paid to lure the victim to a store to be picked up Lewis and another suspect.

The report states the victim was then taken to a residence owned by Lewis where an altercation ensued and the victim was shot multiple times by Lewis and the other suspect.

After shooting the victim, the suspects left the house and purchased cleaning supplies to clean up physical evidence at the residence as well removing carpet from the scene, the report states.

According to the report, the suspects then wrapped the victim’s body in a tarp with a bungee strap around it and transported it in the trunk of a car to the remote location along 256th Street where they dumped the body on the side of the dirt road with “the intent of no one finding the illegally dumped body and allowing it to be subjected to animal intrusion.”

The body, though, was just a few feet off the road and was found by a man walking his dog Monday morning.

“He wasn’t 3-4 feet off the road,” Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John said Monday after SCSO deputies were first notified. “If you ride by, you couldn’t help but see him. So, somebody was either in a big hurry or didn’t care or whatever. They just threw him out there.

“It looked like someone hastily came along, dumped it out and took off.”

Lewis was charged with premeditated first degree murder with firearm discharge, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, possession of controlled substance, unlawful storage – transport of human remains, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a short barreled shotgun.

Cianelli was charged with accessory after the fact to premeditated first degree murder with firearm discharge, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, possession of controlled substance and unlawful storage – transport of human remains.

Both are being held in the Columbia County Detention facility on no bond.

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Two arrested in McGee murder case

LAKE CITY, Fla. — In the early morning hours of Friday, April 12, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Detectives arrested two in the murder of Steven McGee, who was found Monday morning deceased along Old Spanish Road in the Fort White area.

Arrested were Dashan Ricardo Lewis, 42, and Danielle Katherine Cianelli, 22, both of Lake City.

Lewis was charged with Premeditated First Degree Murder with Firearm Discharge, Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence, Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Storage, Transport of Human Remains, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Short Barreled Shotgun.

Cianelli was charged with Accessory After the Fact to: Premeditated First Degree Murder with Firearm Discharge, Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Unlawful Storage, Transport of Human Remains.

Lewis and Cianelli are both being held in the Columbia County Detention facility on no bond.

A third person of interest has been identified by detectives and efforts are underway to locate and interview him.

“I’m extremely proud of the hard work that led to these arrests.”  Sheriff Mark Hunter said. “Detectives worked tirelessly around the clock to remove these dangerous suspects from our community and to provide much needed closure and comfort to the victim’s family.  We know nothing can take away the pain of losing a loved one but we strive to give every victim’s family the answers they deserve.

“We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and especially Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office for the invaluable assistance in this difficult case.”