During their investigation of the murder of Melissa Britt Lewis in March 2008, Plantation police officers seized a day planner that Tony Villegas used as a makeshift diary in late 2007 and early 2008.
At the time, Tony was separated from his wife, Debra Villegas, who was Lewis' best friend and the former chief operating officer at the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. Debra told police she had kicked Tony out of the house because he was violent and abusive toward her children.
Tony's diary entries -- where the grammar, spelling, and train of thought are scattered -- indicate that he was struggling to come to terms with the end of his marriage and missed his two young sons terribly. He also knew that Debra had been spending a lot of time with friends at the Round Up Country
Western Club in Davie.
"Missing my family. My babe I love you so much. How this all happen," he wrote on November 19, 2007. "I hope to see you at Round Up on Wednesday. I miss u lips."
A month later, the theme was the same. "Hard to sleep. Missing my family," reads a December 12 entry.
"Mad at her but loving her so that it hurts... (very lonely). She look like she in love. At Round Up with some guy for 3 hrs. outside making out.."
"Tony you don't like flys [sic] on you meat. Forget her."
A few days later, he added: "Remember Tony, she doesn't love you. She laffing [sic] at you."
By February 20, 2008, two weeks before Lewis was killed, Tony was still struggling with his feelings for Debra.
"I don't know why I feel this way. I guess I was in love," he wrote. "I miss my kids and... my wife. I thought... she had moved on with her life. I wish I [could] do like her, but I miss them very much..."
"She's been my friend for 15-16 years. Was I so bad? I can be with her no more but I still feel for her like I never felt for no other woman."
