Clifford Tennant of Palatka, Putnam County, Florida, United States has died. He was 47.
Palatka is the county seat of Putnam County. The city is around 28.1 miles away from Saint Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida.
Clifford Tennant
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office recently confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a local resident earlier this week. Matthew Michael Dennis, 28, of St. Johns County has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of Tennant.
On the evening of February 24, 2026, Tennant was found dead. Deputies were dispatched to a rural area near Carole Road, Alabama Avenue and Roddy Road in Palatka following a 911 call.
The caller reported hearing multiple gunshots and subsequently discovered Tennant bleeding on a wooded trail. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers confirmed that the victim was deceased at the scene.
Matthew Dennis
Detectives with the PCSO immediately launched a homicide investigation, interviewing neighbors and potential witnesses while processing physical evidence from the wooded area. The detectives worked in tandem with the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s 7th Circuit to present their findings to a judge and by the end of the week, authorities successfully obtained an arrest warrant for Dennis.
On March 1, 2026, the PCSO coordinated with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office to locate the suspect. Given the nature of the charges, the St. Johns County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was utilized to execute the warrant.
Dennis was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the St. Johns County Jail in St. Augustine.
Gator DeLoach
Homer “Gator” DeLoach III has been the sheriff of Putnam County since January 2017. He stated, “I want to commend everyone who worked on this case and the teamwork with the State Attorney’s Office and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in allowing us to quickly apprehend Matthew Dennis.”
According to DeLoach, there are several moving parts behind the scenes that the public may not be aware of. He said, “At the end of the day, our job is to see that the guilty party is punished and the victim’s family can have closure.”
CONAN Daily 