A trail of trash behind a St. Petersburg Holiday Inn Express may have given detectives exactly what they needed to crack a homicide case.
Surveillance footage and items pulled from a hotel dumpster led investigators to a man now accused of killing 76-year-old Emma Mullins inside a room at the Holiday Inn Express on 100th Way North. Detectives say Mullins and the suspect were seen on camera walking into a room together on a Thursday morning. Later, the same man is seen leaving alone, carrying several bags that he tossed into a parking-lot dumpster. Robbery and homicide detectives say that trash run turned into key evidence, and the suspect is now charged and in custody.
Deputies were called to the hotel around 11:35 a.m. on June 25 after an employee found Mullins dead inside a room at the property, located at 4816 100th Way North in St. Petersburg, as reported by the Tampa Free Press. Investigators said the room showed signs of a violent struggle and that Mullins's body had been wrapped and covered with blankets, sheets and clothing.
Hotel surveillance video then helped detectives zero in on a suspect. According to investigators, the footage shows 38-year-old Paul Stottler entering a room with Mullins and later leaving by himself with several bags. Those bags, tossed into the hotel parking-lot dumpster, were recovered by detectives, who say they found an ice bucket containing documents with Mullins's name, as well as blood-stained bedding and a pair of men's pants, according to the Tampa Free Press.
Where It Happened
The homicide took place inside a room at the Holiday Inn Express on 100th Way North. The hotel's official listing gives the address as 4816 100th Way North in St. Petersburg, according to IHG. Arrested suspects in the area are processed through the county jail, and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office outlines its corrections and booking operations at the main jail facility in Clearwater.
Charges And Next Steps
Authorities have charged 38-year-old Paul Stottler with second-degree murder, and say the investigation remains active, according to the Tampa Free Press. Stottler is being held at the Pinellas County Jail while detectives continue to collect evidence and track down any additional witnesses.
Anyone who may have information or video from the area is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department tip line or submit a Tip411 message to detectives.
