Missing Tampa Woman Found Dead in McDonald’s lot

A missing Tampa woman was found dead inside an SUV in a McDonald’s parking lot in north Tampa earlier yesterday turning a routine opening shift into a grim discovery. Deputies say the case remains very much open.

Scene and discovery

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that a McDonald’s manager at 2205 East Fletcher Avenue called 911 at 6:57 a.m. after spotting an unresponsive person inside a vehicle. Responding deputies found a black Volkswagen Tiguan parked on the north side of the lot and discovered a deceased woman inside.

She was later identified as 36-year-old Erica Giordano, who relatives had reported missing days earlier, according to the Tampa Free Press.

How to contact investigators

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who might have seen Giordano recently, or who was near the Fletcher Avenue McDonald’s early Sunday, to come forward. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office contact page lists a non-emergency line at 813-247-8200 and Crime Stoppers at 800-873-8477. Tipsters can also file a report or submit information online through the HCSO site, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Preliminary findings

Detectives said a preliminary examination of Giordano’s body showed no obvious signs of trauma or injury, and officials have not released a possible cause of death. The sheriff’s office says the investigation is active as detectives continue gathering evidence and running down leads, according to the Tampa Free Press.

No arrests or suspects have been announced. Investigators are especially interested in hearing from anyone who may have surveillance footage or relevant information from the area around the Fletcher Avenue McDonald’s early Sunday.