A Charlotte County judge has ordered Shannon Rose Giblin held in pretrial detention after investigators say she stabbed her 76-year-old roommate, then took off in his pickup. Deputies later found the victim, identified as Paul De Wayne Bradley, under a clear tarp in a screened lanai at a Gewant Boulevard home on March 8, and tracked a missing 2024 Toyota pickup into Sarasota County. Giblin is being held without bond as the case moves through the local courts.
How deputies say the case unfolded
According to WWSB, deputies were called to the Gewant Boulevard home on March 8 for a report of a person not breathing. The affidavit states Tracy and David Wright followed what they believed was a blood trail from a detached garage to a screened lanai, where they discovered Bradley under a clear tarp. He was pronounced dead at 7:28 p.m. Investigators wrote that security-camera footage from a neighboring house showed Bradley’s pickup leaving the area at about 4:30 p.m.
Truck tracked to Sarasota, suspect detained
Detectives said the pickup was driven north into Sarasota County, where Sarasota deputies later located the vehicle and detained Giblin that night, as reported by Gulf Coast News. Local outlets report that Giblin admitted to stabbing Bradley after an argument, covering his body with a tarp and leaving in his truck. Neighbors told reporters the pair had only recently started living together, and some described Bradley as a quiet, helpful presence on the street.
Judge orders pretrial detention
In a court order signed March 18, Circuit Judge Lisa S. Porter granted the state’s motion for pretrial detention and wrote that there is a substantial probability Giblin committed the offense, and that no conditions of release would reasonably protect the community or ensure her appearance at trial, according to WWSB. The order states that Giblin was arrested for an offense characterized in the document as a felony punishable by life and that detention was necessary to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.
Charges and legal context
Prosecutors have charged Giblin with second-degree murder and grand theft of a motor vehicle, and she remains jailed without bond, as reported by CBS Miami. Under Florida law, second-degree murder “constitutes a felony of the first degree” and can carry a term of years not exceeding life, according to the Florida Senate statute on murder. The case remains in its early stages, and prosecutors and the court are expected to set future hearings as formal charges and filings proceed.
Sheriff Bill Prummell praised his Major Crimes detectives for quickly identifying a suspect and thanked Sarasota County deputies for locating the truck and detaining Giblin, according to reporting by FOX 13. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
