Suspects arrested in U. Florida murder

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (U-WIRE) - Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrested three more Live Oak residents Tuesday afternoon in connection to the beating death of University of Florida student Brian Tew at Campus Club Apartments early Saturday morning.

Thomas Anthony Bartolotta, Jason Kelley and Bryan Kelley, were asked to turn themselves in to the Suwannee County jail, where Alachua County Sheriff's officers arrested them, said Sheriff's spokesperson Sgt. James Troiano.

The three men are charged as principles to second-degree murder.

Joshua Wells, also of Live Oak, was arrested over the weekend and charged with second-degree murder.

Bartolotta and the Kelley brothers were with Wells the night of the Campus Club Apartment fight, where Wells "maliciously kicked" Tew in the head after they fell down the stairs while fighting, Troiano said.

Interviews with witnesses who saw the Saturday morning fight led to the arrest of the suspects, who are in the Suwannee County jail.

The three men will be moved to the Alachua County jail later this week, Troiano said.

Bartolotta is a teacher and wrestling coach at Suwannee High School, said Wyman Harvard, Suwannee County School Board superintendent. The Kelley brothers are not employed by the school.

More charges against Bartolotta and the Kelley brothers are possible as the investigation continues, Troiano said. Troiano said eight people, including the four already arrested, were in the group from Live Oak that came to Gainesville the night before the Tennessee vs. Florida game looking for a party.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are still working out the details of Saturday morning's events, which left Tew, a criminal justice major who wanted to become an FBI agent, with multiple skull fractures. He died at Shands Hospital at UF early Sunday morning.

"We do know alcohol played a part (in the fight) because we know that many people were drinking," Troiano said.

Police do not know if the four men arrested in the case or Tew were drinking that night. Tew's autopsy report is expected later this week.

Tew's roommate Ed Morris was glad to hear of the arrest, "It makes me feel better that (police) are doing their best to catch those who are responsible, but in the end it still doesn't bring Brian back," Morris said.

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