THONOTOSASSA, Fla. — After more than 14 years, the loved ones of a woman killed outside her Thonotosassa mobile home finally have answers.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says it revisited the cold case in 2021 and uncovered new evidence tying back to the July 2007 murder.
According to a press release, at the time of the woman's death, a man named Jonathan Burns called 911 saying he was in a fight with the woman just after 1:00 a.m.
When deputies arrived at the Nature's Trail Mobile Home Park they say they found the woman with upper body trauma.
"It was later discovered the victim was dependent on a walker and wheelchair," the sheriff's office wrote.
The sheriff's office says Burns did not speak with them at the time and the State Attorney's Office came to the conclusion there was insufficient evidence to refute Burn's version of what happened that morning.
That's until now. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit says through interviews, new evidence was found that "ultimately" led to Burns' arrest for felony first-degree murder.
“We know that every cold case represents long-awaited answers for the family and friends of victims, and that is why our Cold Case Unit is so passionate and dedicated to solving these crimes," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Thanks to the hard work of our investigators, we are now able to not only bring closure to loved ones but bring a murderer to justice."