The discovery of a body off the Gandy Bridge has given rise to a homicide investigation spearheaded by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), with the case now spanning Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. As first reported by WFLA, the inquiry took a grim turn when a man, whose identity has not been disclosed, arrived at the HCSO district office in Brandon at around 9 p.m. last night. The man claimed he had witnessed a homicide in Riverview and was privy to the whereabouts of the body in Pinellas County.
Following the individual's lead, law enforcement located the body near Weedon Island Preserve, with St. Petersburg police aiding in processing the scene and evidence collection. This complex investigation was later detailed by WFLA, revealing an additional detail that the man was familiar with the residents of a house on Maybrook Ave., where the crime is thought to have originated. The individual has, according to Chief Deputy Frank Losat, continued to cooperate with the investigation.
A teenage resident of the Riverview home in question was subsequently detained, though no arrests have been made as of yet. As The Tampa Free Press reports, the Hillsborough County deputies executed a search warrant at the property and made contact with the teen, while also securing other residents present.
Authorities are actively trying to fully piece together this unsettling puzzle, with the perpetrator, or perpetrators, still at large. Chief Deputy Losat has asserted there is "no threat to the community at this time," as stated in a story by 10 Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the sheriff's office continues to urge the public to come forward with any information that could further aid their investigation into this trans-county homicide.
