OKEECHOBEE -- “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” inquired dispatcher Samantha Plummer.

“Yeah. My name is Mark.” answered the caller, Mark Glen Deschamps.

“Do you need an ambulance?” asked Ms. Plummer.

“I need ambulance and police and all that,” replied Deschamps.



“What’s goin’ on?” the dispatcher asked.

“Pretty g.. damn simple,” answered the caller.

When Deschamps placed that call to 9-1-1 at 3:56 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24, it was to report a stabbing that turned into murder when 23-year-old Flavia Leticia Escobar Munoz died in the driveway of the Playland Park home where she had been staying.

Deschamps is being held without bond in the Okeechobee County Jail on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of methamphetamine.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) detectives have learned when Deschamps, 47, awoke from a methamphetamine-induced stupor early Monday morning he began to accuse Munoz and roommate Duane Ford Thomas, 40, of stealing from him. He also thought they were seeing each other behind his back.

After plunging a 10- to 12-inch hunting knife into the right side of Thomas’ face, detectives said Deschamps then used that same knife to stab Munoz once in the chest. She then walked out of the house and collapsed in the driveway of the concrete block home at 1648 N.W. 45th Terrace.

Ironically, as Deschamps was reporting the incident Thomas was also placing a call to the sheriff’s office. Thomas, whose family owns the three-bedroom home, had left the home and walked about a mile to another home where he called for help.

“I need ambulance and police,” said Thomas to Ms. Plummer.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I don’t know. My roommate ... my ... roommate woke up being hysterical. And paranoid. And he punched me in the face and split my face open. And, he ended up stabbin’ her!”

Thomas, who didn’t realize he had been stabbed, then tried to tell Ms. Plummer what happened.

“He woke up ... he woke up ... he woke up hysterical. I don’t know how to explain it right now. I’m getting weak now,” he said.

Thomas went on to describe to the dispatcher how he was “bleeding out” and had cuts all over his face.

Actually, when the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Deschamps plunged the knife into his roommate’s face he broke the man’s orbital bone, his nose and when the knife exited Thomas’ left cheek it left nearly a 3-inch cut.

“Could you please hurry up the ambulance? Please!” Thomas pleaded with Ms. Plummer.

As Ms. Plummer spoke with Thomas, another dispatcher, Corporal Liz Kelly, was dealing with Deschamps.

Cpl. Kelly told Deschamps OCSO deputies were on their way, which raised the ire of Deschamps.

“If anybody comes to this door I’m gonna blast him!” shouted Deschamps, adding that he had a shotgun and a rifle.

Switching gears, Cpl. Kelly asked Deschamps if he’d been drinking?

“No. I do meth,” he answered.

“Have you done meth tonight?” she asked.

“I’m always doing meth,” answered Deschamps.

He then warned Cpl. Kelly again not to send any deputies into his home.

“I mean what I say. I’ve got a shotgun. It’ll blow a ........ in half!” he shouted into the phone. “I’ll come out when I’m ready. It won’t be long.”

Cpl. Kelly remained steady and soon had Deschamps more relaxed.

“I just want to know if you’re all right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m all right. Fixin’ to be. Fixin’ to go to Valhalla,” he replied.

Valhalla is the great hall in Norse mythology where heroes slain in battle are received. It’s also defined as a place of honor, glory or happiness.

As Cpl. Kelly continued to develop a rapport with Deschamps, he began to grow calmer. He also began to realize what had happened.

“This is a dream. This is a dream. I know it,” whispered Deschamps.