Bradenton Woman Stabbed To Death By Neighbor: Police

BRADENTON, FL – A Bradenton woman allegedly stabbed to death her female neighbor Monday night then asked for the knife back the next morning, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

Misty Whiteley, who reportedly still had blood on her hands, was arrested by officers Tuesday on suspicion of the second-degree murder of neighbor Zelma Huddleston at her home on the 2300 block of 3rd Avenue in Bradenton, officials said.

Huddleston's daughter told authorities that she spent Monday evening until about 6:45 p.m. with her mother and Whiteley, who were neighbors on 3rd Avenue for several years, according to an affidavit. However, at 9 p.m. she was unable to reach by phone either her mother or Whiteley, and on Tuesday morning took a taxi to her mother's house.

There, according to the documents, the daughter found Huddleston covered in blood and dead on the floor with a bloody knife about 10 feet away.

The cab driver confirmed to law enforcement that he drove the daughter to the home, and while at the scene saw a woman with blood on her hands come from a house across the street on the 2200 block of 3rd. The female, later identified as Whiteley, reportedly said "that the lady in that house beat her 'a--' last night," adding that her "knife was in the house, and she wanted it back," agency records stated.

Whiteley purportedly conveyed to the daughter that she and the victim were fighting and she was defending herself, and also told paramedics, "I had an altercation with the woman in that house last night," the filing said.

Detectives observed blood on Whiteley's hands and pants, a black eye, bruised forehead and cuts on her ring and pinky fingers, the agency said. A wooden keychain, bearing the word "Misty," was found near Huddleston's body and taken into evidence, along with Whiteley's bloody clothing and shoes with blood on the soles, the department said.

The victim, who was found in a pool of blood, sustained lacerations and blunt force trauma to her head, with her death ruled a homicide by the coroner, who added that the time of death was consistent with the daughter's time frame of not being able to reach her mother after 9 p.m. Monday.

Ages of the victim and suspect were not listed in the affidavit filing.

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--Image of suspect via Manatee County Sheriff