A Republican political consultant with ties to US Congressman Feeney of Florida and Ralph Reed of Georgia, Rafael "Ralph" Gonzalez, was found dead by police at the age of 36 this week at his suburban home east of Orlando near the University of Central Florida along with his roommate David Abrami aged 36 and friend Robert Drake, aged 30. The press are tentatively labeling it an apparent double murder-suicide.

Gonzalez was executive director of the Georgia Republican Party from 2001-2002.

AP/Boston Herald
Link

The time period corresponds to the takeover of the Georgia Republican Party by Ralph Reed. According to the Wikipedia article on Ralph Reed,
Link.

In 2001, Reed mounted a campaign for State Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, a volunteer job not usually the subject of heated contests. His candidacy attracted national media attention, two opponents and an independent "Anybody But Ralph" campaign. * * * Reed won on the first ballot, capturing almost 60% of the delegate vote against Shafer, who won 40%, and a third candidate, lobbyist Maria Rose Strollo, who won 1%.

Reed was endorsed by the "Confederate Republican Caucus," a block of almost 500 heritage activists who had participated in the state convention as a protest against the removal of the Confederate battle emblem from the State Flag. Associated with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Confederate Republican Caucus claimed credit for both Reed's victory and the large margin. They would later claimed that they were "double crossed" by Reed.

Documents released by federal investigators in June of 2005 show that Reed's 2001 campaign for State Chairman was secretly financed with contributions from the Choctaws, an Indian gaming tribe represented by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The party experienced success in the 2002 elections under Reed's leadership. Saxby Chambliss was elected as U.S. Senator [vs. Max Cleland(D)]

RALPH GONZALEZ, 36

[Ralph] Gonzalez is the former head of the Republican Party in Georgia [under Ralph Reed] and was president of Strategum Group, an Orlando political-consulting firm that represents Republican candidates. He managed U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney's 2002 campaign [vs Harry Jacobs(D)] and the unsuccessful 2003 Orlando mayoral campaign of advertising executive Pete Barr [vs Mayor Buddy Dyer(D)]. * * * Ralph Gonzalez [also] worked on the campaign of then-state Rep. Sheri McInvale [vs. Scott Randolph(D)], who was indicted last week after prosecutors say she fraudulently sought taxpayer reimbursement for a newsletter.

Link


DAVID ABRAMI, 36

Abrami had set his goals on serving in Afghanistan or Iraq as an Army infantry officer.
* * *
Abrami, an attorney, drew Secret Service scrutiny in 1992 while still a student at the University of Central Florida.

As vice president of the Central Florida Young Republican Club, the 22-year-old senior announced a Turkey Shoot fundraiser where members could pay $2 to fire a shotgun at enlarged photos of then-President Clinton.

"This will be fun for the entire family," Abrami told the Orlando Sentinel before the Secret Service persuaded him to raise money some other way. "They came down hard on us, saying we threatened the president, things like that."

JASON DRAKE, 30

[Jason] Drake was a St. Cloud High School graduate and former Marine who was once featured in newspapers across the country during his service in Kosovo.

A photo of Drake was published on the front page of The New York Times and the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1999. It showed an Albanian toddler in a refugee camp rubbing his shaved head.

Link

Police are releasing few details, but according to the Orlando Sentinel a neighbor heard what sounded like firecrackers on Tuesday night and "There were signs of a struggle, but deputies did not suggest a motive. * * * Investigators found [unspecified] weapons and two dogs, who were unharmed, inside the house."
Link

Later the Orlando Sentinel reported
Link

Authorities determined they perished in a double-murder and suicide but would not say which man was the killer.

WESH-TV (channel 2) reported
Link

Investigators elected not to have a media briefing on Friday as planned. They said they do not anticipate releasing any additional details regarding the case Friday or over the weekend.

Not counting these deaths, there have been 44 homicides in Orange County in 2007.

AUTOPSY

The Sheriff's Office awaits autopsy results before releasing more information, including a reconstruction of what investigators think happened.

The Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office completed the autopsies Friday. Burial plans had not been announced.

Link

An autopsy, would be conducted by Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia chief medical examiner for the District Nine (Orange-Osceola) Medical Examiner's Office in Florida. Dr. Garavaglia is known to cable TV viewers as "Dr G Medical Examiner" because she is the star of a Discovery Health channel TV show.
Link

Services for Ralph Gonzalez, the Republican political consultant who was among three men found dead Thursday in his Orange County home, have been planned for Sunday and Monday in Miami. * * *
The families of Abrami and Drake have not announced burial plans.

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL