Prosecutor: Kalisz to be hospitalized in Hernando County

Murder suspect John Kalisz could be transferred to a local hospital this week, a prosecutor in Dixie County said Tuesday.

Robert "Skip" Jarvis, the state attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, decided against keeping him for long in Dixie County because of the nature of his charges.

Kalisz, 55, of Spring Hill, is suspected of fatally wounding Capt. Chad Reed of the Dixie County Sheriff's Office during a Jan. 14 shoot-out with law enforcement.

"Right now, he doesn't not need to be held in custody in Dixie County," Jarvis said. "The deputies there have been very good, but there are lots of hard feelings there right now."

Before pulling into a gas station in Cross City and engaging deputies in a gunfight, Kalisz was being sought in a double murder that took place two hours earlier in Brooksville.

Kalisz gunned down four women at a house at 15303 Wilhelm Road, authorities said. His sister, Kathryn Donovan, 61, was killed in the shooting along with her employee, 59-year-old Deborah Buckley Tillotson.

Donovan's daughter, Manessa Donovan, 19, was shot and injured. She was two months pregnant and lost her baby during surgery, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

The fourth victim, Amy Wilson, 33, was released from the hospital last week.

The shootings in two counties means prosecutors in two judicial circuits are conferring about when and where to try him.

Before that happens, grand juries in both counties must agree to indict him.

The grand jury hearing in Dixie County is scheduled for Feb. 16, said Robert "Skip" Jarvis, the state attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida.

He said he has been in regular contact with Brad King, the state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, which includes Hernando County.

"He needs to impanel his grand jury and I have to impanel mine and then we can make a determination on the who, what, when and where," Jarvis said.

Kalisz, if indicted in both circuits, could be tried first in Brooksville and then Cross City or vice versa.

Jarvis said there also is the possibility the trials could happen at the same time and he and the Hernando County prosecutor could "swap (Kalisz) back and forth when needed."

Assistant State Attorney Pete Magrino, who prosecutes most homicide cases for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, would not say when the grand jury would meet in Brooksville.

Magrino did say the grand jury would convene within 21 days of Kalisz's arrest.

Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent announced during a media conference that Kalisz was arrested Jan. 15, which means a local grand jury could convene and indict Kalisz no later than Feb. 5.

In Florida, a grand jury indictment is required to try someone for a capital offense, which is a crime punishable by death.

Jarvis said the extent of Kalisz's injuries requires more hospitalization.

"He had tubes sticking out of him," Jarvis said. "He's still going to require some medical care and some follow-up care."

There are three hospitals in Hernando County - Oak Hill, Brooksville Regional and Spring Hill Regional. Jarvis said one of the three hospitals declined Kalisz as a patient, but the other two accepted.

Brooksville and Spring Hill are managed by the same company, Health Management Associates.

Robin Schneider, a spokeswoman for Brooksville and Spring Hill, said she had not heard any word about Kalisz being moved to either hospital.

She added she would not be allowed to comment on Kalisz if he was admitted because of patient confidentiality laws.

Rich Linkul, a spokesman at Oak Hill, could not confirm any news about Kalisz's relocation prior to Tuesday's deadline.

Sgt. Donna Black, a spokeswoman with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, would not talk about Kalisz's possible transfer.

"We don't talk about that for safety purposes," she said.