BROOKSVILLE — The case of the human remains found near Brookridge last week seemed to go like a textbook might suggest it should.

Investigators with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and 5th District Medical Examiner's Office responded, investigated and collected the bones. The preliminary findings: 20-year-old Brian Adam Gilley, missing since January, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

There was a problem, though. Investigators apparently left some of Gilley's bones at the scene.

Now authorities with both agencies are trying to figure out how it happened.

"It's unacceptable," Hernando Chief Deputy Michael Maurer said Wednesday. "It's just not the way we do business, and we want to know why it happened and make sure it never happens again."

Maurer said there was a breakdown in protocol between his agency and the Medical Examiner's Office.

"There's stopgaps and checks and balances, and what we don't understand yet is how that perfect storm came together and this happened," he said. "It defies logic for me."

He said he didn't know Wednesday if the bones — a hand and forearm — were missed during the initial investigation or were simply left behind.

But it doesn't seem plausible that they were missed, Maurer said, because they were found in the immediate vicinity of the rest of the remains.

Deputies initially responded to the area about 6:30 p.m. March 13 after a passerby discovered the remains in a low-lying stand of trees between a concrete retaining wall and the white privacy fence that lines the southern edge of Brookridge.

Forensics technicians investigated, and the medical examiner arrived about 9:30 p.m. and took the remains to establish the person's identity.

On Tuesday, a representative from a local news blog went to the scene, discovered the bones and called the Sheriff's Office. Investigators returned and collected them.

Making sure the remains were removed from a scene during the first visit is the responsibility of both agencies, Maurer said.

He spoke Wednesday with Dr. Barbara Wolf, medical examiner for the 5th District, who is conducting her own investigation.

Messages left by the Times at Wolf's office in Leesburg were not returned.

The Sheriff's Office internal inquiry could result in disciplinary action up to dismissal, Maurer said.

A Maryland native, Gilley moved in December to his stepfather Wayne Gilley's home in Brookridge.

Brian worked in the deli at the Walmart store on Cortez Boulevard. He was well liked and loved playing the acoustic guitar, Wayne Gilley said.

"I didn't see any signs he wasn't happy here," he said.

Then Brian disappeared, and Wayne Gilley found a suicide note. He filed a missing person report with the Sheriff's Office on Jan. 18, but feared the worst.

"I tried to prepare myself for the day they'd come to knock on the door, but you can't prepare yourself for that," he said.

Wayne Gilley said the news that some of Brian's remains were left behind upset him.

"But the worst part was knowing he's gone," he said.

Brian's remains will be cremated and laid to rest next week in Rising Sun, Md., a small town between the Chesapeake Bay and the Pennsylvania border.

Reach Tony Marrero at tmarrero@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1431. Follow @tmarrerotimes and @hernandotimes on Twitter.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The pain at the pump continues for drivers, and it just got a little worse.

The average for a gallon of regular gas reached an all-time high of $4.374 in the U.S. on Tuesday after increasing by 5 cents overnight, AAA said.

In the past two weeks, the national average for a gallon of gasoline has risen 25 cents.

The increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which was hovering near $100 a barrel Tuesday after surging to $110 last week.

The leader of the European Union called on the 27-nation bloc last week to phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year, causing oil prices to spike.

"With the cost of oil accounting for more than half of the pump price, more expensive oil means more expensive gasoline," AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said.

Gas prices are slightly lower in Florida than the national average but have increased in recent weeks after a slight dip in April.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Florida is currently $4.282 with Palm Beach County leading the state at $4.446, according to AAA.

The cost to fill up on the Treasure Coast is slightly lower than in South Florida with drivers paying $4.344 in Martin County, $4.30 in St. Lucie County and $4.319 in Indian River County.

Before the surge in fuel costs, driver Shadae Lewis said she was paying about $50 to fill up her gas tank.

But Tuesday, at $4.99 a gallon, she shelled out a whopping $85.

"It's a lot, but you’re going to need gas … you got places to go, so you can't really argue about it," Lewis said.

Gas prices in Florida hit previous record levels in early March, reaching $4.21 per gallon.

These figures are a dramatic increase from what Florida drivers were paying at this time last year when the average price to fill up was $2.876.

AAA said fuel prices could continue to rise as the global oil supply remains tight and the market remains highly volatile.

"We're seeing steady drops in gasoline supply here in the United States, and that's ultimately driving gas prices higher," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. "So, you have less supply at a time when demand is really increasing because of summer travel right around the corner."

According to a report released Tuesday from AAA, people living in the Sunshine State are more comfortable traveling now than at any other time since the pandemic began.

The study found that 51% of Floridians still plan to travel this summer while finding other ways to offset the high costs of fuel.

"They might be taking shorter trips, traveling closer to home, fewer trips or just making adjustments in their budget," Jenkins said.

But for residents like Alfonso Pagan, that won't be the case. He said his vacation money this summer will be going toward his gas tank and rent.

"And now the new lease is $1,800, so it's not as easy especially if you live by yourself. No, [I] can't afford it," Pagan.

This morning Virgin Atlantic's inaugural A330neo flight departed Heathrow for Tampa. Gilbert Ott, frequent flier and Founder of travel site godsavethepoints.com, was on board. Here's his verdict on his experience in the 'Upper Class' business cabin, complete with photographs he took on the flight.

I'll be honest, I didn't expect to love this flying experience on the brand-new Virgin Atlantic A330neo quite as much as I did. I knew it would be good, but I didn't expect it to be great.

That's because the main 'Upper Class' seat most guests will find themselves in is not technically 'new' to the flying market, with a similar iteration being flown by Delta. Can a seat that's already flying truly be special?

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Spoiler alert: the answer is yes.

Pictured above is Gilbert Ott's seat on the inaugural Virgin Atlantic A330neo flight from Heathrow to Tampa

In a way that few know how to do better, Virgin Atlantic found a way to make this A330neo Upper Class experience incredibly exciting and new, even for one of those grumpy frequent flyers like myself, who crosses the pond every couple of weeks.

I'll now go out of my way for this.

Not only are the Virgin touches on the seat fantastic, there's a treat, or rather a pair of 'Retreat Suites', in the first row that's simply jaw-dropping.

They feature as a 'plus' option for passengers in Virgin's Upper Class, but are actually a version of a first-class seat flown by global standard bearers. 'First in business', if you will.

The two 'Retreat Suites' in the first row, suites D and E respectively, offer larger screens, more room and more privacy than most first-class cabins across the Atlantic from other airlines, with touches others won't catch up with for years.

On board the inaugural Virgin A330neo flight

Obviously, any airplane seat that converts into a bed and comes with Champagne warrants a firm nod of approval, but here extra marks are awarded for the privacy, which is phenomenal - and this plane geek adores the industry-leading Bluetooth and connectivity.

If you've got your own bud headphones you can pair them with the seat – and the Bluetooth was simple to set up.

I was able to use my Google Pixel Buds for the duration of the flight, sampling the in-flight entertainment selection.

Of course, if you don't bring headphones, Virgin supplies a pair with every seat.

Wireless charging for phones kicks in at 10,000 feet in Upper Class, with USB and USB-C ports, plus standard AC power, available.

And for ultimate snob value, how can you not enjoy a 'do not disturb' button? Here, you just need to press it if you really don't want to be woken up or disturbed. It means the cocoon created by the full privacy doors can be enjoyed all the more.

Sleep and relaxation

With 22 inches of width and up to six feet and four inches of length when fully reclined into a flat bed, this seat is a dream to sleep on.

And with the privacy door closed and 'Do Not Disturb' engaged, this is as peaceful as commercial business class travel gets, aided by the A330neo being noticeably quieter in the air (while using 25 per cent less fuel).

Based on the finishes, nice duvets and sleep comfort, I'd say it's a top-five business-class bed and seat.

And while not asleep, I found the experience to be highly customisable.

In slouch mode, the seat remains remarkably comfortable and the 17.3-inch entertainment screen is easily visible from virtually all levels of recline.

Compared to previous screen sizes, these are a genuine treat and are ultra-clear.

Plus, I was delighted that the ample power ports meant I could fire up my laptop and charge my mobile phone.

The 'First Class' Retreat Suites

On the off-chance you look around the cabin and want 'more', as noted, Virgin has created two 'Retreat Suites', which feature a different seat to all others in the Upper Class cabin.

These heavily modified Thompson Vantage XL seats, until now, have exclusively been used as first class on some of the world's leading carriers, including Etihad. On Virgin, you can enjoy it as an additional paid upgrade - £200 each way - on top of business class.

These wildly spacious long seats - 6ft 7.5in when fully flat - can be configured to form a quad socialising area with the adjacent seat, with up to four people able to dine together. And they come with 27-inch monitors that rival plenty of home TVs.

What about the bar?

The A330neo (above) has a tweaked version of 'The Loft' lounge space found on board Virgin Atlantic's A350

Virgin and onboard bars are like olives and a martini - they go together, but like many cocktail trends, they've evolved.

Here there's a tweaked version of 'The Loft' lounge space found on board Virgin Atlantic's A350.

It comes with power ports and seat belts, so that people can even enjoy the area in moments of turbulence.

The new social space also features a fridge with canned cocktails and ice cream, making for the ultimate in-flight treat (and which you can help yourself to). Grab a friend, grab whatever you fancy and hang around for a while. I certainly did!

There's also Bluetooth connectivity for each of the televisions in this social space, so it's entirely possible to grab four friends and watch a movie, if the Upper Class seat ever gets boring - though I don't see how it could.

Forget sitting at a bar James Bond-style, this is better, with the addition of the fridge full of treats pure class.

Food, drinks and service

This Virgin crew was as friendly and unique as ever. As an inaugural flight, there's always a bit of fanfare, but I flew across the pond anonymously with Virgin twice in the past few weeks, and the experience was consistently the same.

Crews are free to wear non-gender-defined uniforms and display tattoos, and that freedom seems to be translating into positivity and pride in customer interactions.

The picture on the left shows a range of the business-class food on the A330neo and was taken by Virgin's onboard photographer as the plane winged its way to Tampa. Gilbert describes the menu options as 'diverse'

Food options on board were diverse, and my vegetarian korma meal ticked the boxes. Hard to beat a curry, some Gujarati green beans, rice and paratha flatbread in the air.

Other options included a miso and sesame-crusted salmon, and a chicken and wild mushroom pie with mash and red-wine sauce.

For those with a sweet tooth, the 'indulgent' Black Forest gateau was as described and the sweet brioche bread and butter pudding was utterly comforting.

Tipples? That's a fairly important facet of the Virgin Atlantic experience and they did not disappoint.

Fizz-wise, Virgin offers both Ayala Champagne and Hambledon British Sparkling. I personally love the championing of the British sparkling scene, which is often lauded as among the world's best.

Wines on the menu, meanwhile, are crowd pleasers, with options such as a Brook Ridge Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Gianni Tessari Soave, a South African Pinotage from Diemersdal and an Italian Pinot Noir, also from Gianni Tessari.

Aside from cocktails such as the ruby slipper and margarita, canned cocktails, including a nice negroni, were available in The Loft lounge area.

The verdict on the Virgin A330neo experience

Gilbert (above, next to the A330neo), says that Virgin now has a contender for best transatlantic business class

Virgin Atlantic's A330neo will initially fly between Heathrow, Boston and Tampa

Virgin doesn't fly to Doha or Tokyo, and those are the only two places where home airlines may offer a superior business-class experience, with the Qsuite from Qatar Airways and 'The Room' by All Nippon Airways remaining tough to dislodge from the top spot.

In the markets that Virgin does fly to, they're now a contender for best business class.

Is this A330neo Upper Class suite better than the current best business-class seat flying on American, United and others who serve Virgin Atlantic routes?

Yes.

Is this better than the British Airways Club Suite? Purely from the perspective of the seat itself, I'd also say yes, based on the next-generation technology offered.

Other factors form overall experiences for business-class passengers, based on personal preferences, but on seat alone, this is truly phenomenal.

I personally love the rest of the Virgin experience, including the iconic Clubhouse at Heathrow, but that’s more subjective.

The BA Club Suite and Virgin A330neo Upper Class seat are similar in size and privacy, but offering Bluetooth connectivity at every seat, as well as USB-C and wireless phone charging is a significant differentiator.

Both are fantastic, for what it's worth.

Finding the Virgin Airbus A330neo is fairly easy, by the way. The airline is running these stunning new aircraft between Heathrow and US gateways Boston and Tampa.

If you get a chance to fly Upper Class, you certainly won't regret it. This upgrade is about as good as it gets.

For more from Gilbert visit godsavethepoints.com. The four-weekly Virgin Atlantic A330neo service to Tampa will increase to daily from November 28. Return fares in economy are from £440 per person.

ECONOMY 'DELIGHT' HIGHLIGHTS

13.3in touchscreen with Bluetooth audio

17.9in seat width

34in seat pitch

AC and USB-A ports

ECONOMY 'CLASSIC' AND 'LIGHT' HIGHLIGHTS

13.3in touchscreen with Bluetooth audio

17.9in seat width

31in seat pitch

AC and USB-A ports

PREMIUM ECONOMY HIGHLIGHTS

13.3in touchscreen with Bluetooth audio

18.5in seat width

38in seat pitch with 'calf supports' and footrests

Wireless charging

AC and USB-A ports

UPPER CLASS HIGHLIGHTS

17.3in touchscreen with Bluetooth audio

6ft 4in flat bed

Fully reclinable seat, from upright to bed

Enhanced storage, including shoe stowage and lockable in-seat stowage

Fully closing privacy door

AC, USB-A and USB-C ports

Wireless charging

Do not disturb light

Passenger-controlled mood lighting (dims automatically when seat is in lie-flat mode)

RETREAT SUITE HIGHLIGHTS

6ft 7.5in fully flat bed

Ottoman 'buddy seat'

Dual or quad dining/socialising

Dual privacy screens

27in touchscreen with Bluetooth audio

Wireless charging

Dual carry-on bag stowage compartments

AC, USB-A and USB-C ports

THE LOFT HIGHLIGHTS

Dual panoramic 27in touchscreens

Eight Bluetooth audio jacks

Self-service fridge-freezer

Snack dispenser

Fold-out cocktail tables

Space for eight people

Four seats with seatbelts

Wireless charging

AC, USB-A and USB-C ports

Cabin configuration: 30 Upper Class suites, two Retreat Suites, 46 premium seats, 28 'Economy Delight' seats and 156 'Economy classic' seats.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Drivers who have visited the gas station lately to fill up their tanks know that fuel prices continue to rise in Florida.

Gas prices in the Sunshine State increased another 6 cents last week, setting a new 2022 high of $3.51 per gallon, according to numbers released Monday by the American Automobile Association (AAA).

The highest gas prices in the state are currently in Palm Beach County with an average of $3.63.

Prices in Florida right now are 90 cents more than at this time last year and the highest since July 2014.

The least expensive gas prices in the state are in the Panhandle with the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area at $3.42 and Panama City at $3.44 a gallon.

Florida's fuel prices are still slightly below the national average of $3.53.

Rudi Reid said she is only filling up her SUV a gallon or two at a time in an effort save to save some cash.

"I can't remember the last time I filled up my gas tank," Reid said. "It would be over probably $100 to fill up my gas tank."

Charles Mackey stopped at a Mobil gas station in Riviera Beach and pondered ways to save.

"You do have to do a little bit of planning," Mackey said. "Maybe I'll take my motorcycle and bike to work a couple days out of the week."

Why are gas prices rising?

Experts said the potential Russian invasion of Ukraine is putting strains on the energy market, which suffered its first week of losses last week.

After reaching a new 2022 high of $95.46 per barrel on Monday, the price for U.S. crude declined 5% by the end of the week, according to AAA.

That resulted in the equivalent of a 5-cent drop at the pump.

"It's hard to get too excited about the recent oil price drop because prices could easily rebound if Russia invades Ukraine," said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. "If an invasion occurs and oil prices spike, that will most certainly drag gas prices higher too. To what degree, it's still unclear."

Other factors include the higher demand for fuel as the pandemic subsides.

"All that demand is back now, but global production is not nearly where it was back before the pandemic," Jenkins said.

Ways to Save on Gasoline

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Nearly 48 million Americans spent this holiday weekend away from home.

Most decided to deal with high gas prices and drive to their destination. However, those who stayed at home still faced a pricey weekend, especially on the water.

The Scheffers decided this would be the summer for boating. On this fourth, the family of four worked as a team, loading their boat onto the Intracoastal in Riviera Beach to set sail.

"We got the boat back in December and he was like, I don’t think were going to go anywhere. And I said, that’s fine. We got the boat, we can do it every weekend," said Stefanie Scheffer.

A weekly commitment to spend time on the water. But high gas prices have been difficult to navigate.

"It’s a little rough but it is what it is, We didn’t do a summer vacation. We got the boat, so we had to balance it out somehow right," said Scheffer.

"I’m doing what a lot of people do, shorter trips versus down to Lauderdale or the Bahamas," said Rob Wolfe.

Wolfe revved up his boat engine Monday but kept his time on the water to a minimum. Filling up his dinghy isn’t the problem, but he said it’s his bigger boat that draining his budget.

"I have two 100-gallon tanks. So right now it’s about $6 a gallon. On boats it's about $1 more than what cars pay," Wolfe said. "So $1,200 for a boat if I do that."

Even though the boat ramp was bustling, this year many boaters noticed a difference in the crowds.

"Last year at this time you couldn’t park at this ramp," boater John Dooley said. "You could only drop in and you had to go and find a place to park, hoping you didn’t get towed."

"Do you think high gas prices has something to do with it?" WPTV reporter Linnie Supall asked.

"I think it had a lot to do with it. I heard on the radio no one is doing anything today. They’re all just staying at home," Dooley answered.

Even though the crowds were a lot smaller at the Light Harbor Park boat ramp in Riviera Beach, the boat ramp at Phil Foster Park was at full capacity before noon.

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