C.O.C. Stabbing Suspect: 'I Don't Know If I Stabbed Somebody Or Not, But I May Have'

June 26, 2005

Michael Dunn of the Tampa Tribune has issued the following report:

Saying he "blacked out" and "may have" pulled a knife on concertgoers, a 39-year-old Pinellas Park man was charged Saturday in a nightclub stabbing spree Thursday that left one person dead and others injured.

Michael John Pyne (photo),of 6089 81st Ave. N., is being held without bail in the Orient Road Jail, charged with first- degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and other crimes.

Pyne has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions on weapons and narcotics charges, as well as battery on a law enforcement officer.

Tampa police detectives were able to track him down through witnesses, and because he apparently was handing out business cards promoting a tattoo parlor prior to the incident, officials said. Pyne is a tattoo artist at Rat-a-Tac-Tat Tattooing in Dunedin.

Tampa police contacted Pyne and asked him to come in for questioning, police spokesman Joe Durkin said.

Pyne was arrested at police headquarters about 3 a.m. Saturday, Durkin said.

During questioning, Durkin said, Pyne told detectives: "I don't know if I stabbed somebody or not, but I may have."

The multiple stabbings occurred about 11:30 p.m. Thursday during a concert at the Masquerade nightclub in Ybor City.

Pyne's girlfriend and another woman got into a fight during the show, witnesses said.

Bartender Dallas Ashe was trying to break up the fight when Pyne intervened and began stabbing concertgoers, police said.

Pyne stabbed Tommy Laskas, 29, of Seminole Heights, several times in the upper body with a pocketknife, police said. He also stabbed Laskas' wife, Wendy, 30, police said.

Pyne stabbed Ashe and Nicholas Stegall, 21, and attempted to stab two other men before fleeing the nightclub, police said.

Tommy Laskas died of his injuries Friday. Wendy Laskas was listed in fair condition Saturday at Tampa General Hospital.

During police questioning, Pyne acknowledged being at the nightclub and possessing a knife, Durkin said.

"He said all he remembers is his girlfriend got into a fight," Durkin said. "He remembers pulling her away, but he blacked out after that and said he doesn't remember what happened after that."

Durkin said that to his knowledge, the Masquerade's security staff did not pat down concertgoers or use a metal detector.

Club attorney Luke Lirot told the Tribune on Friday the nightclub employs tight security for such concerts, which featured the band CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.

Lirot could not be reached for additional comment on Saturday.

Tommy and Wendy Laskas and Stegall worked together at Mean Machine Tattoo Co., 3415 S. Dale Mabry Highway.

The shop was closed Saturday. Two bouquets of roses lay on the ground at the shop's door. A handwritten sign said the business was closed "due to a loss in the family."

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).