With 2 Sarasota Women Found Dead On N. Tamiami Trail, Police Ask Public For Information

SARASOTA, FL — With two Sarasota women found dead along North Tamiami Trail just two weeks apart, Sarasota police are asking the public for any information they might have that could help their homicide investigation move forward.

In a renewed call for help, police implored people to share any information they might have about the women or their deaths, reminding potential tipsters that they can remain anonymous, in a Facebook post shared by the Sarasota Police Department on Tuesday afternoon. Tips can be submitted by calling the agency at 941-263-6070 or Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County at 941-366-TIPS (8477).

Not much information has been released about the victims since the homicides were made public on Thursday. One victim is a 48-year-old woman whose body was found near the Centennial Park boat ramp in the 1000 block of North Tamiami Trail on Feb. 25. The other is a 59-year-old woman found dead near the 1900 block of North Tamiami Trail, close to the shore of Whitaker Bayou, police said.

A friend of the 48-year-old victim told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that her name is Kelly and she’s lived on the streets for 15 years.

A spokesperson for Sarasota police told Patch that she couldn’t confirm her identity because the victims are protected under Marsy’s Law.

Investigators also haven’t released any information about their manner of death or how their bodies were found.

“Certain details cannot be released at this time to safeguard the investigation,” Interim Police Chief Rex Troche said during a news conference on Friday afternoon.

While responding to comments on the agency’s Tuesday Facebook post about the investigation, Sarasota police told multiple commenters, “We appreciate your comment and know you and others have a lot of questions. We have shared that both women were of Sarasota. There is information that, at this time, we are not releasing in an effort to protect the integrity of the case. As soon as we're able to release additional information, we will share it. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

Multiple commenters on the post also asked the SPD if the women's deaths were caused by a serial killer.

“We aren’t putting a title on this — we don’t know. What we do know is two families are mourning the loss of their loved ones,” Sarasota police wrote in responses to several comments. “We want to give these families justice and take those responsible off the street.”

Police patrols have increased in the area of North Tamiami Trail where the women’s bodies were found and other parts of the city since Friday's news conference. The department will use members of its Homeless Outreach Team and members of the Community Action Team, who have been focusing their policing efforts on the surge in gun violence in the city’s north district since February, to increase patrols, Troche said.

Officers who are regularly assigned to the area of the crime scenes “are going to be more vigilant, as well,” interim police chief said.

He also asked that Sarasota residents and visitors remain vigilant during the agency’s homicide investigations.

“The community should be vigilant moving forward and I think they should look out for each other, look out for our neighbors,” Troche said. “If you see something, say something. If you hear something, say something.”

He told residents not to hesitate in calling 911, adding that “there isn’t information that’s too miniscule, too minor to call us.”

Troche said, “Don’t feel like you’re bothering us. Just know that we have people that are gonna show up. They’re gonna take this very serious. The people at this agency are the best of the best and no one’s gonna sleep until we solve these, including myself.”