A Clermont neighborhood argument over a drone flying over homes didn't end with a thrown rock — it ended with a 69-year-old man behind bars accused of trying to pay a fellow inmate $5,000 to kill the witness who could sink his case. David John Butka is now facing a solicitation to commit first-degree murder charge, and he's being held without bond at the Lake County Jail in Tavares.
The investigation began in September 2026. A fellow inmate reported to a detention supervisor that Butka had approached him about committing a murder, according to Inside Lake. That report triggered an immediate investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit. Investigators say Butka claimed to have $1.3 million in the bank while trying to hire the inmate to kill a key witness in his pending criminal case.
An arrest affidavit detailed how far the alleged scheme went. Per WFTV, Butka handed the prospective hitman a handwritten note that included the intended victim's first name, a physical description, the victim's morning routine, directions to the residence, and instructions to collect a $5,000 down payment. The note was ultimately turned over to detectives by the inmate who reported the plan.
A Paper Trail Behind Bars
Detention records show Butka didn't just talk — he moved money to make it happen. The same Inside Lake report notes he executed an official Lake County Sheriff's Office property release form authorizing his credit card to be released to the other inmate's wife, who then transferred $300 into the inmate's commissary account.
The intended target was Butka's own neighbor, according to WESH, which reported that the case stemmed from an ongoing dispute over the neighbor acting as a witness against him. Deputies say the inmate who came forward provided physical evidence backing up the account, and Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies formally charged Butka with solicitation to commit first-degree murder on September 17, 2026. He remains held without bond.
How It Started: A Drone, an Argument, a Rock
The origin of the alleged plot traces back to Royal Vista Avenue in Clermont, where Butka was first arrested on July 22, 2026, after allegedly throwing a rock at a passing pickup truck during an argument over neighborhood drone flights. WESH reported that deputies had responded to the Clermont home after a report of a neighbor flying a drone over homes, and that the truck was struck by the rock as it drove past Butka's residence during the confrontation. A witness told deputies they saw the rock thrown, and according to WESH, deputies determined Butka had the intent, opportunity and ability to cause harm before arresting him.
Drone disputes between neighbors have increasingly drawn law enforcement attention across residential areas, and Florida law gives homeowners some specific legal footing in those fights. Florida Statute § 934.50, known as the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, prohibits using drones to record private property or the people on it where there's a reasonable expectation of privacy, without consent, according to the Criminal Defense Attorney Tampa firm.
What Butka Now Faces
The solicitation charge against Butka carries serious weight under state law. Under Florida Statute § 777.04, soliciting another person to commit first-degree murder is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in state prison, regardless of whether the person solicited ever attempts or carries out the crime, according to the Law Office of Roger P. Foley. WESH reported that Butka's continued custody remains a concern for the safety of both the victim and the witness in the underlying case.
A murder-conspiracy case in Lake County courts involved a 23-year-old Clermont woman who, in March 2026, was sentenced to three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy tied to a planned car ambush on Peppermill Trail in Clermont. That case, like Butka's, involved a murder plot.
The case continues to move forward in Lake County. For now, Butka remains in custody in Tavares as the case against him moves forward.
