Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral

Reporter: Annalise Iraola
Published: Updated:

A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.

John William Tolbert, 58, was arrested in West Moreland County and is now charged with manslaughter.

On the afternoon of April 16, the Cape Coral Police Department said they responded to a home in Northwest Cape Coral after reports of a patient in cardiac arrest.

When officers arrived at the home with Lee County EMS, they found a very faint pulse for Francis G. Tolbert, 71. He was found bleeding from the back of his head from unknown causes at that point. Soon after, Francis was declared dead.

While collecting information at the residence, officers found a shell casing near Francis, leading them to believe that his injuries were not from a medical event.

Detectives immediately launched an investigation due to the circumstances and suggested foul play.

The medical examiner’s office completed an autopsy, and preliminary reports revealed a bullet fragment in Francis Tolbert’s head. John Tolbert, Francis’s brother, was named a person of interest.

On Tuesday, John was pulled over by Pennsylvania State Troopers for a traffic infraction in West Moreland County.

He was ultimately arrested on the CCPD’s original warrant for manslaughter.

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