UPDATE: We're learning more on the murder of Phillip Panzica, the man who made national headlines for having sex on the High Roller just weeks ago. 13 Action News is learning the sex incident and the murder may have some ties.
A man who calls himself Panzica's best friend, Wolfgang Erbstroesse, says he was with Panzica at the strip club in Houston Saturday morning before his friend was killed. Erbstroesse says Panzica was bragging about all the money he got from interviews after his Las Vegas "sexcapade." Erbstroesse says Panzica's killers wanted that money.
"Nobody deserves to die like that," said Erbstroesse. "I don't care if you're bad or good. That was a bad way to die and throwing him out like an animal."
Erbstroesse says Panzica went to the strip club early Saturday morning to pick up his fiancee, Mistie Bozant. He started talking about his incident on the High Roller to the club's shoe shiner, who happened to be murder suspect Aaron Jones.
"He was out there at the club talking to the shoe shine guy, bragging about the Ferris wheel deal, you know about how much money they got paid, Inside Edition, and all that stuff," said Erbstroesse.
Investigators say Jones and his brother Bryan Watts got in Panzica's car, demanded the money, and when Panzica said no, they shot and killed him.
"The way he got killed, point blank, this was all premeditated," said Erbstroesse. "This was a premeditated murder. These guys planned to put him in the car, drive off, shot him and throw him out."
The brothers were caught by investigators more than 300 miles down the road. Both Jones and Watts are in custody on capital murder charges.
ORIGINAL STORY
The man accused of having sex on the High Roller was fatally shot during a carjacking in Houston this weekend.
According to ABC 13 in Houston, Phillip Panzica was shot around 5 a.m. Saturday after picking up his fiancee from an adult entertainment club where she worked.
Four people were inside a black Kia, including Panzica, his fiancee and the two suspects, identified as Bryant Watts and Aaron Jones, ABC 13 reported.
According to Houston police, Panzica's fiancee heard Watts say, "You need to come clean." She said Watts also pointed a handgun before shooting Panzica several times, ABC 13 reported.
Police told ABC 13 the men then pulled Panzica out of the car and left his body in the road. The fiancee was told to get out of the car, and both suspects took off in the Kia.
Houston police Watts and Jones have been arrested on capital murder charges. ABC 13 reported both suspects were found with a large amount of cash.
Panzica and Chloe Alexis Scordianos, 21, of Hicksville, New York were taken into custody on Feb. 5 after an employee observed them smoking and undressing inside a cabin during a ride on The High Roller Observation Wheel. He told 13 Action News he met Scordianos after he got into an argument with his fiancee.
Panzica and Scordianos were arrested and charged with commission of certain sex acts in public. Panzica's fiancee had bailed him out of jail after the incident.
Less than two weeks ago, Panzica's lawyer was in court for his client. Panzica had been offered a plea deal to reduce the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor. He had been expected to enter a plea by April 25.
Scordianos' next hearing is April 12.
