More than one active serial killer in Florida?

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bessie

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If anyone is interested, I have been tracking female victims of unsolved homicides from Tampa to Daytona and there are many. I'll post links if anyone would like to look into this further.

Yes, please list them. The information you've posted so far is very much appreciated. Just be aware of the 10% copyright rule. When quoting published articles, we can post up to ten percent of the content accompanied by a link. Thanks. :)
 
Yes, please list them. The information you've posted so far is very much appreciated. Just be aware of the 10% copyright rule. When quoting published articles, we can post up to ten percent of the content accompanied by a link. Thanks. :)



Slayings of 19 prostitutes, drug users near I-4 in Central Fla. may be serial killer:

When the fourth victim was discovered, Daytona Beach police knew they were looking for a serial killer.

According to the FBI, the four killings are among 28 in Florida that are unsolved and connected to serial killings that the bureau suspects were committed by long-haul truckers.

Those include 19 deaths along the Interstate 4 corridor between Tampa and Daytona Beach, although all but one local law-enforcement agency denies any serial-killer cases on its books.


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/slayings-of-19-prostitutes-drug-users-near-i-174718.html?printArticle=y


****


February 6, 2007: SARASOTA COUNTY

Unidentified

SARASOTA COUNTY - Lt. Skip Wood stared at the spot where he first found her: an overgrown thicket shaded by an oak tree, silent except for the far-off groan of heavy machinery.

It was not the first time Wood had come back to this acre of woods in the middle of an industrial park in south Sarasota. Wood comes looking for signs of disturbance, for anything that reveals someone has returned to check on the remains of a body buried here.

The body is the only Jane Doe on record at the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. Saturday marks three years to the day the body was found. Who Jane Doe was, and who killed her and buried her here, are among the most troubling mysteries facing local law enforcement officers.

"It's exceptionally frustrating to us," said Wood, a 27-year crime scene investigator. "We revisit this case quite often."


http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100205/ARTICLE/2051033/2416/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg



****


October 21, 2007: DAYTONA BEACH

Mamie Jameka Thomas

Victim's body found topless in a grassy lot just off South Beach Street on October 21, 2007. There were no outward signs of trauma and no one in the immediate neighborhood where she was discovered had heard anything out of the ordinary in the hours before her body was found.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/murder/other/2010/05/10/mamie-jameka-thomas.html#

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-01-30/news/cfbriefs30_5_1_daytona-beach-clothed-body-partially-clothed


http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2008/01/30/met_185469.shtml



****


July 21, 2009 : ORANGE COUNTY

Brenda Revel


A woman found dead last month near Apopka has been identified as Brenda Revel, 28.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-body-found-apopka-072109,0,3344749.story

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_homicide/2009/08/id-of-woman-found-dead-near-apopka-released.html


****


March 28, 2010: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Lisa Renee Harris


The body of a woman found Sunday floating in the Hillsborough River has been identified as Lisa Renee Harris. Authorities state that after the photo of a tattoo was released to the media, the victim was positively identified by a family member.

Law enforcement officials state that Lisa Renee Harris was 34 years old and lived in Plant City, Florida. An official cause of death has not yet been determined and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities believe that her body had been in the Hillsborough River for several days before being found by two boaters visiting the Hillsborough River State Park.


http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-tampa-bay/body-of-woman-found-floating-hillsborough-river-identified

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/tattoo-helps-identify-plant-city-woman-found-in-hillsborough-river/1083856


http://www2.tbo.com/news/plant-city/2010/mar/31/plant-city-mother-found-dead-river-had-big-heart-s-ar-58272/


****


March 2010: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Lisa Ann Mowrey


Tampa, Florida - Tampa Police say the skeletal remains discovered on I-75 and Bruce B. Downs is an 18-year-old woman who went missing six years ago. Detectives say the remains are 18-year-old Lisa Ann Mowrey.


http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=128180&catid=8



http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/i-75-remains-identified-as-beauty-school-student-missing-since-2004/1082142


http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/hillsborough/409-missing-woman-was-murdered-police-say



****


June 27, 2011: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Melissa Easterling

Riverview, Florida- Sheriff's investigators have identified the body of a woman found early Monday morning along a dirt road in Riverview as 32-year-old Melissa Easterling.


http://riverview.wtsp.com/news/news/body-found-riverview-business-park-identified/67073

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/woman-found-dead-in-riverview-wanted-only-love-and-friendship-neighbors/1177739


****


July 19, 2011: ORANGE COUNTY

Lacy Thistlewood


Lacy Thistlewood, 21, was discovered just before 9 a.m. Monday by two workers who arrived at 8251 Presidents Drive to work on the building, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Detectives have declined to release how the woman was killed.


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-07-19/news/os-orange-murder-lacy-thistlewood-20110719_1_deputies-id-facebook-page-woman


http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/071911-body-found-in-orange-county-ID-thistlewood


****


October 2, 2011: ORANGE COUNTY

Katharine Zafra

Officials have identified the body of a woman found dead in the front yard of a home Sunday. Investigators said the victim is 37-year-old Katharine Zafra.


http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/october/322835/Dead-body-found-in-Orange-County-yard.html


http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/october/323988/Officials-identify-woman-found-dead-Sunday

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-10-04/news/os-woman-body-found-orange-20111004_1_drug-charges-investigators-orange-county-sheriff-s-office


****


December 8, 2011: FLORIDA/GEORGIA BORDER

Melissa McCarthy Comiskey

Investigators have identified a woman whose body was found Nov. 30 in woods beside an Interstate 95 access ramp at Woodbine, Ga.

Melissa McCarthy Comiskey, 27, a New Jersey native is thought to have been living in the Broward County area at the time of her death, Camden County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Deputy William Terrell said.

Investigators believe she died from a single gunshot wound to the head, he said.

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-12-08/story/investigators-id-woman-found-dead-nov-30-woodbine-interstate-exit


****


December 11, 2011: MANATEE COUNTY

Nicole Rose Scott


MANATEE COUNTY - A 29-year-old Sarasota woman whose body was found Sunday morning in a remote corner of southeast Manatee County was likely the victim of a homicide, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Nicole Rose Scott was found in a ditch just east of the intersection of University Parkway and Bourneside Boulevard at about 11 a.m.


http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111211/BREAKING/111219955


http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111222/breaking/111229856


http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/sun_coast/manatee-body-nicole-scott-12-11-11


http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/08/3773353/she-was-lost-in-the-system.html
 
This thread was started to identify possible victims of an active serial killer or killers currently working in Florida.

Please know this thread was started for a number of reasons:

1. LE in Daytona Beach acknowledged an active serial killer was at work beginning in late 2005. To catch up on that open investigation, please see the following WS thread:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58261&highlight=daytona


You can also review media reports at the following links:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11929741/ns/msnbc_tv-the_abrams_report/t/daytona-beach-serial-killer-set-strike-again/

http://www.news-journalonline.com/special/daytonadeaths/

http://daytona.crimeshadows.com/


http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=76697


2. In addition to the above murders, it was reported in January 2010 that according to the FBI, the four Daytona Beach killings were among 28 in Florida that remain unsolved and connected to serial killings that the bureau suspects were committed by long-haul truckers.

Those include 19 deaths along the Interstate 4 corridor between Tampa and Daytona Beach, although all but one local law-enforcement agency denies any serial-killer cases on its books.

More at link:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-01-11/news/os-serial-killer-20100111_1_serial-killers-serial-killer-case-iwana-patton


I began tracking potential victims and came up with a long list of possible victims that would fit easily into a serial killer scenario, including the Daytona Beach victims and have compiled the following possible victims. With additional high profile missing persons cases in neighboring Orlando, other WS members expressed interest in pursuing this angle separately from those other threads....so here we are.

Below is a list of additional unsolved homicides with similar victimology, such as either prostitution and/or drug use, though it's noteworthy that some of these women had nothing to do with prostitution nor drug abuse but instead were dealing with family issues or the complete opposite, doing well in life with being a student or professional - but again as far as I'm aware these cases have not been solved:

Unidentified - February 6, 2007: SARASOTA COUNTY

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080306/BREAKING01/229545278


Mamie Jameka Thomas - October 21, 2007: DAYTONA BEACH

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/police-identify-teen-girl-found-dead-in-daytona-be/nJn8m/



Sharon Elson - Found July 2010 - HOLLYWOOD

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-11-19/news/fl-canal-remains-identified-20101119_1_hollywood-woman-sharon-elson-canal



Lisa Renee Harris - March 28, 2010: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/tattoo-helps-identify-plant-city-woman-found-in-hillsborough-river/1083856



Lisa Ann Mowrey - March 2010: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/i-75-remains-identified-as-beauty-school-student-missing-since-2004/1082142



Darlene Young - Found May 2011 - DELRAY BEACH


http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-05-10/news/fl-delray-bikini-body-20110510_1_delray-beach-police-shot-multiple-times-multiple-gunshot-wounds



http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1013603115/Local-woman-found-shot-to-death-in-South-Florida




Melissa Easterling - June 27, 2011: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/mystery-surrounds-woman%27s-remains-found-in-riverview



Lacy Thistlewood - July 19, 2011: ORANGE COUNTY


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-07-19/news/os-orange-murder-lacy-thistlewood-20110719_1_deputies-id-facebook-page-woman




Katharine Zafra - October 2, 2011: ORANGE COUNTY

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-10-04/news/os-woman-body-found-orange-20111002_1_scorpion-tattoo-vehicle-burglaries




Melissa McCarthy Comiskey - December 8, 2011: FLORIDA/GEORGIA BORDER

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-12-08/story/investigators-id-woman-found-dead-nov-30-woodbine-interstate-exit




Nicole Rose Scott - December 11, 2011: MANATEE COUNTY

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_sarasota_manatee/bradenton/woman%27s-body-found-by-biker-in-bradenton


I believe I have tracked additional victims but will need to go back and find that research.
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I will need some time to review the cases to catch up, but just looking at the list is makes you take notice. I didn't realize so many woman have died and the murders unsolved.
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I will need some time to review the cases to catch up, but just looking at the list is makes you take notice. I didn't realize so many woman have died and the murders unsolved.

Do you think this thread is in the correct forum? I'm still kind of new at starting threads.
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I will need some time to review the cases to catch up, but just looking at the list is makes you take notice. I didn't realize so many woman have died and the murders unsolved.

Also, I am so happy to have a fresh pair of eyes looking this over. Truly, thank you.
 
Do you think this thread is in the correct forum? I'm still kind of new at starting threads.

Yes, but you can check with a mod and see if we should be in the Parking Lot, if so, they can move it.

I will check other missing persons sites and see if we can get a handle on how many woman are missing or murdered in FL. We may end up putting them in different catagories but we should at least have them listed here.
 
The UD woman from Sarasota, I remember this case. She had a fractured nose at some point and she had a old fractured wrist. I wonder is LE checked for any domestic battery records or shelters or any hospital records for a woman with these types of injuries? It could be a husband, bf, or pimp that did this to her in the past.
 
Texas Little did a map for Michelle Parker's thread, I wonder if we could get her to help map out the victims and where they were found. Maybe we could use different color pins to keep things straight.
 
Texas Little did a map for Michelle Parker's thread, I wonder if we could get her to help map out the victims and where they were found. Maybe we could use different color pins to keep things straight.

Agreed! That would be fantastic.
 
Has anyone ruled out Dexter Morgan?

(Not trying to offend, just bring a little levity to the situation).

I would think that Florida, with the Everglades, would be a haven for serial killers, just as the Pac NW seems to be popular because of all the remote locations. Ted Bundy liked both areas.
 
I just went to the Charley Project site and put in FL and it has 770 missing people listed and that does not include Michelle Parker or Sandra Lemire. It goes back to the 60 or 70's not sure, but do we know how far back we want to go? Just woman correct and what age range should we include. Once I get a list with what we want, we can narrow it down.
 
I think this listing is a good idea. I would personally g back to the Late 50's, where as an late teen who started killing may still be alive.
I would like to find a list like this of the Napa Valley murders other than the ones I have to find at the cold case site. I think any unsolved case should at least be on a list like this regardless if they connect or not. Good work here, very interesting
 
I just went to the Charley Project site and put in FL and it has 770 missing people listed and that does not include Michelle Parker or Sandra Lemire. It goes back to the 60 or 70's not sure, but do we know how far back we want to go? Just woman correct and what age range should we include. Once I get a list with what we want, we can narrow it down.

Here are the ages of the women I've tracked so far - I also included race in case that is relevant to the investigation. The homicides have occurred from 2005 to present:

LaQuetta Mae Gunther/ white, 45
Julie Ann Green/ white, 34
Iwana Patton/ black, 35
Stacy Gage/ white, 30


Regan Kendall/ white, 48
Kelly Lanthorne/ white, 37

Mamie Jameka Thomas/black, 18
Sharon Elson/black, 45
Lisa Renee Harris/ white, 34
Lisa Ann Mowrey/ white, 18
Darlene Young/ white, 41
Melissa Easterling/ white, 32
Lacy Thistlewood/ white, 21
Katharine Zafra / white, 36
Melissa McCarthy Comiskey/ white, 27
Nicole Rose Scott/ white, 29

I've only researched this from 2005 forward, after Daytona Beach was alerted to a serial killer. However far back we go, maybe we could group the homicides and missing separately within decades - would that work?
 
This thread was started to identify possible victims of an active serial killer or killers currently working in Florida.

Please know this thread was started for a number of reasons:


Below is a list of additional unsolved homicides with similar victimology, such as either prostitution and/or drug use, though it's noteworthy that some of these women had nothing to do with prostitution nor drug abuse but instead were dealing with family issues or the complete opposite, doing well in life with being a student or professional - but again as far as I'm aware these cases have not been solved:


Sharon Elson - Found July 2010 - HOLLYWOOD

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-11-19/news/fl-canal-remains-identified-20101119_1_hollywood-woman-sharon-elson-canal

I believe I have tracked additional victims but will need to go back and find that research.

I want to comment on the above case, mainly because I grew up 4 blocks from this area where she was found in the 50's and 60's. I've spent lots of time in this area as a child playing in the woods nearby, fishing in the canal she was found and know the layout of the area. News have reported this comment.

Two months after her disappearance, what appeared to be bones were discovered in shallow water near the canal by people fishing there.

Hollywood police divers recovered additional remains in the water July 19, as well as from an underground pipe that feeds the canal.

This has to be from under Hollywood Blvd which crosses over the canal she was found. The canal basically ends at Hollywood Blvd. where she was found. It is fed by a number of feeder streams from the other side of hollywood Blvd from Hollywood Hills Country Club.

It would seem to me if remains were found in an underground feeder pipe, they came from the country club side of Hollywood Blvd.

Now it probably doesn't mean anything and this is very far from the I-4 corridor but keep an eye out for country clubs while sleuthing these missing women.

JMO
 
Do you think this thread is in the correct forum? I'm still kind of new at starting threads.

Yes. This is the correct forum for this thread. It looks very interesting. Thank you for starting it. I'll take a closer look tomorrow when it's not so late. Please feel free to send a pm to me or one of the other mods if you need help or advice about posting.
 
I have to research this also, a woman's remains were found near Tampa. I think it was off of the interstate, I can't remember. She was a student and was missing for around 3 years and a motorist found the body. He got a flat and was waiting for AAA and just walked a bit up on to the grassy area and found her remains. Sorry it is so fuzzy but it was a least a yr ago I read about it.



http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...s-bones-along-i-75-in-tampa-are-human/1080533

I think this was Lisa Ann Mowrey. Yes they were, found the link and story.



http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=128180
 
Here are the ages of the women I've tracked so far - I also included race in case that is relevant to the investigation. The homicides have occurred from 2005 to present:

LaQuetta Mae Gunther/ white, 45
Julie Ann Green/ white, 34
Iwana Patton/ black, 35
Stacy Gage/ white, 30


Regan Kendall/ white, 48
Kelly Lanthorne/ white, 37

Mamie Jameka Thomas/black, 18
Sharon Elson/black, 45
Lisa Renee Harris/ white, 34
Lisa Ann Mowrey/ white, 18
Darlene Young/ white, 41
Melissa Easterling/ white, 32
Lacy Thistlewood/ white, 21
Katharine Zafra / white, 36
Melissa McCarthy Comiskey/ white, 27
Nicole Rose Scott/ white, 29

I've only researched this from 2005 forward, after Daytona Beach was alerted to a serial killer. However far back we go, maybe we could group the homicides and missing separately within decades - would that work?

That you for the list, I will print it out, and start some kind of spread sheet with info that will help us to group the murders. I will also look at the ones not found and put it into another spread sheet. The missing I will group by location of where they were last seen and decade, unless you think otherwise, let me know.
 
That you for the list, I will print it out, and start some kind of spread sheet with info that will help us to group the murders. I will also look at the ones not found and put it into another spread sheet. The missing I will group by location of where they were last seen and decade, unless you think otherwise, let me know.

That sounds great - I also have other victims to list so I'll try to post the additional unsolved homicides later today.

In regards to creating a map, I do wonder how we get an exact location of where the victims were found...if anyone has ideas on that it would be helpful. Most articles refer to a general area rather than a specific address.

I also discovered a timeline program and am still working with it, but it allows you to make a timeline of events and to include images and text for each event, so I'll see if that would be helpful - it would enable a pic of the victim and also the circumstances of them missing and/or found, etc.

I'll also edit my original post for this thread and add the Scripps Howard resource info.

Thanks again everyone for your help with this research - it is very, very much appreciated!
 
These links are great. FL has had 112 known SK???

Can we have these links on the first opening post for referrence so they are easy to find?

I think that means there have been a total of 112 victims of serial killers in Florida.
 
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