Blood on elderly felon's car was likely his own

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Detectives in Sarasota said a call about a car crash led them to an elderly felon, an illegal gun, and a car covered in blood - but they think the blood was from a wound suffered by the elderly man.

According to the sheriff's office, it was Tuesday night when a 911 caller reported that there had been a crash outside of his Clark Road home and a bloody man was standing next to the vehicle. 

A neighbor who went to help said 80-year-old Leslie Achter offered $200 for help to clean up the blood.

When deputies arrived, Achter told them he had been a passenger in the car, and the driver had fled after hitting a deer. But due to what deputies called a "massive amount" of blood, they called in a forensics team. They determined the blood was not from an animal. 

Achter, meanwhile, was being taken to the hospital for a wound on his arm when a piece of a gun -- a cylinder pin -- fell out of his pocket.  That’s when Achter allegedly admitted to detectives that he had arrived in Florida from Missouri, where he'd recently been released from prison. He told them he'd left a disassembled revolver -- with a missing serial number-- inside his car, as well as ammunition.

Detectives said they believe tests will show the "massive amount" of blood was from Achter's wound. 

Deputies say Achter's criminal history includes past convictions for manslaughter, aggravated stalking, and escape.  He's now charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of an altered firearm. 

He remains in custody on $8,000 bond.