Reward Offered in Basketball Court Murder Case

As Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies continue to search for suspects in the death of a person discovered Tuesday on a basketball court, Crime Stoppers has stepped forward with a $3,000 reward.

The victim, identified by police as Samuel Elija Clarke, 24, was discovered just before 9 a.m. by an employee at the 14013 N. 22nd St. University Area Community Center.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Clarke’s body. The Medical Examiner’s Office hasn’t determined an exact cause of death, but says there were “obvious signs of homicidal violence.”

“Detectives are continuing to investigate the homicide of Samuel E. Clarke,” the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media Wednesday. “No motive in the killing has been established nor has any motive been ruled out.”

Clarke is also known as India Clarke. Relatives told Channel 10 she began using the name India about two years ago.

“I hope they find out who did this,” Clarke’s mother told the station.

Clarke was arrested in 2013 on prostitution and minor marijuana possession charges. She identified as India at the time, listing the name as one of her aliases.

Anyone with information about Clarke’s death is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200. Those wishing to be eligible for a possible cash reward in the case are asked to submit tips to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477). Tips may also be reported anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or by texting “CSTB plus your tip” to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).

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