FORT WALTON BEACH, FL - According to an online news report posted on nwfdailynews.com, a homeless man was arrested and charged with the murder of his homeless girlfriend. The news report states that the couple was together for over eight years. The suspect, a 38-year-old man, was arrested and is being held without bond at the Okaloosa County Jail.
According to the news story, law enforcement found the body of a 41-year-old homeless woman in a vacant lot. The body was hidden under a blanket. When the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office determined the identity of the 41-year-old homeless woman, Okaloosa County Sheriff´s deputies initiated an interview with the suspect - the woman´s homeless boyfriend. During the questioning by Okaloosa County Sheriff´s deputies , the suspect started talking about his girlfriend in the past tense, which raised suspicion with the Sheriff´s deputies who were questioning the suspect. The suspect stated that his girlfriend fell on the ground.
Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies responded to a call at an empty lot close to the intersection of Mary Esther Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. The call was at approximately 12 p.m. on Sunday. The call came from the victim´s daughter, who visited the empty lot to check on her mother. The daughter of the victim told the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies that on Saturday, she dropped her mother off at this empty lot, according to the suspect´s arrest report and the news article. The daughter of the victim stated that she was afraid something bad happened to her mother because her mother was not answering her cellphone. So the daughter came back to the empty lot to check on her mother´s well being. The daughter found her mother under a blanket. At first, the daughter thought her mother was sleeping but tragically discovered that her mother had passed away. The daughter noticed significant facial injuries to her mother´s face. Her mother had serious bruising on her face as well.
A bike that the suspect was riding the day before, according to the victim´s daughter. The victim´s daughter told the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies that as she was dropping her mom off at the empty lot on Saturday, the suspect was “irate and began screaming at them.” The suspect also threatened to commit several acts of violence, according to the arrest report. The suspect has a criminal history of committing violent acts on the victim, according to statements made by witnesses in the arrest report.
The suspect was seen around the murder scene within three hours after the victim´s body was discovered. The suspect stated to the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies investigating the murder that the victim fell and injured herself because she intoxicated on alcohol. The suspect stated that this is the reason for her facial injuries. The suspect stated that he loved the victim. The suspect was released by Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office later that night. However, the suspect contacted the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office the following morning. The suspect stated that he was looking for his cellphone. As the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies talked with the suspect, the suspect stated that he had not seen the victim on Sunday. This contradicted his previous story to the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office deputies.
Monday evening, the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office received a tip that the suspect confessed to this individual that the suspect murdered the victim. The caller stated that the suspect admitted to them that he kicked the victim´s teeth in, and the suspect would not tell the caller where the victim was so he could see if she was okay, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff´s Office report. The suspect stated that the victim would be fine.