VALRICO, Fla. — The man accused of robbing a bank and murdering 68-year-old Mathew Korattiyil confessed he choked him "with his bare hands" and used a belt to strangle him, according to the arrest report.
James Hanson Jr., 39, at first said he knew nothing of the robbery at CenterState Bank or the kidnapping of Korattiyil, the report reads. He reportedly contended a couple of friends named "Chris and Mo" called him to get rid of the getaway car -- Korattiyil's Lexus GX -- all for $50.
But his story would change, investigators say, with Hanson allegedly admitting to robbing the bank, carjacking Korattiyil's SUV, killing him and dumping his body behind the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Community Center into some bushes and covering him with grass.
Korattiyil asked to be let go but Hanson "told him no because there are cops everywhere," Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Detective M. Garcia wrote in the arrest report. Investigators say Korattiyil appeared to have put up some sort of fight by punching Hanson, but "he chased him down and strangled him with his bare hands before he used the victim's belt to finish strangling him."
An investigator said Hanson took off Korattiyil's clothes because he didn't want to leave behind any DNA evidence. Korattiyil later was found only wearing underwear, with blood smear marks on his body.
A manhunt began not long after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday when investigators say Hanson walked up to the teller. With a gun in hand, he left the bank, carjacked Korattiyil’s SUV and drove off, the report reads.
The detective said Hanson confessed to robbing the bank to try to get money for his sister who was being evicted and his financially struggling girlfriend, however, he "panicked" because he didn't get any money. Hanson reportedly then went directly to the church, where the struggle between the two men occurred.
After an attempt to hide the body, investigators say Hanson "took the long way" back to his home in the Lexus and threw Korattiyil’s clothes out the window. Hanson changed his own clothes and left in the Lexus again, only to speed off upon seeing the police.
The report says the SUV's monitoring system relayed its position to officers, who then were led on a high-speed chase. Law enforcement used stop sticks and a PIT maneuver to stop the SUV, and investigators say the Hanson ran before being caught.
Hanson was booked into the Hillsborough County jail on charges of premeditated first-degree murder, carjacking, grand theft of a motor vehicle, kidnapping, resisting an officer with violence and robbery.
According to court documents, Hanson has a criminal history and was even sentenced to life in prison at one point. Those court documents say he got a life sentence in 2003 for armed robbery.
He wound up making a deal with the state and accepted a 15-year sentence, which set him up for a July 2 release.
What other people are reading right now:
- 15 apps parents should look out for on their kids' phones
- 3 crashes in Sarasota County cause delays on I-75
- She's accused of leaving hundreds of elderly and disabled people to go clubbing
- 85-year-old Florida man accused of murdering 90-year-old lover of 60 years
- Walgreens to shut 200 US stores as part of cost-cutting plan
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.