News of Republican political consultant Ralph Gonzalez's violent death was only hours old when local client Ken Roberson started getting phone solicitations from other consulting firms.

Roberson said he employed Gonzalez to handle voter research, graphic design, and direct mailing for his 2004 run for the District 72 House seat that ultimately was won by current incumbent Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.

Roberson added that he was planning to hire Gonzalez again for his current campaign -- the District 71 House seat being left open by incumbent Mike Grant's bid for the District 23 Senate seat that is open as Lisa Carlton reaches her term limit.

Gonzalez, 39, was found dead in his Orange County home Thursday, in what police are treating as a double murder-suicide, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Also found dead were David Abrami, 36, who shared the house with Gonzalez, and Robert Drake, described as a friend of both men.

The Sentinel's published accounts of the slayings state that sheriff's deputies found weapons in the house, along with signs of a struggle, but provided no additional details. Neither was there information about what kind of wounds caused the fatalities.

The three men may have been dead since Tuesday. The Sentinel reported that deputies found two dogs in the house, both unharmed.

Gonzalez was the son of Cuban immigrants, who grew up in Miami and graduated from Florida International University, later receiving a master's in campaign management from the University of Florida in 1994.

He later became executive director of the Georgia Republican Party, from 2001-2002. He managed U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney's 2002 campaign for the 24th District seat, which represents parts of Orlando, Daytona Beach, and the Space Coast.

"Our relationship was strictly professional but he came highly recommended by people in the Republican leadership," said Roberson, owner of a local funeral home. Roberson added that many prominent Republican legislators have employed Gonzalez's Orlando firm, The Strategum Group -- for example, Dean Cannon, of Winter Park, who chaired the House's tax reform efforts this year and has already been named as prospective speaker in 2011-2012.

Strategum's Web site was still functioning Friday, featuring glowing endorsements by Cannon and other GOP luminaries.

Roberson, who announced his candidacy in May, said that he had only occasional phone or e-mail contacts with Gonzalez in recent weeks. He learned of Gonzalez's death while browsing the Internet Thursday night.

By Friday evening, Roberson said he had fielded several calls from other political consultants. He added that this struck him as inappropriate, especially considering that Gonzalez's family hasn't even announced funeral arrangements.

Accordingly, Roberson said he won't even consider hiring a new consultant for at least a week, especially since the primary isn't until next August and campaigns are only now getting into gear.

His local manager is also returning from the 2004 campaign -- Jim Hageman, who is also executive director of the Cultural Center of Charlotte County.

Hageman recounted that Gonzalez stepped in with a couple of professionally prepared direct mail pieces after Roberson had gotten poor results from other vendors.

Also, Gonzalez did most of the campaign's voting record research. "He was very knowledgeable, very quick, great computer skills -- like a magician with numbers. He was very passionate about his work," Hageman said.

Roberson currently has one Republican opponent -- Punta Gorda plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Constance, who filed for the District 71 seat in early August.

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