Lutz Man Arrested In Death Of Woman Whose Leg Was Found In Bay

TAMPA, FL — Calling a rare 7:30 p.m. news conference the day before a major holiday, Interim Tampa Police Chief Ruben Delgado announced that they have made an arrest in the death of 47-year-old Stephanie Crone-Overholts, whose severed leg was discovered Nov. 11 in McKay Bay.

Delgado said Robert Kessler, 69, of 3014 148 Ave. E in Lutz, the man who claimed to be Overholts' savior, giving her a place to live after he met her living in her car at a local McDonald's restaurant, has been charged with second-degree murder and abuse of a dead body in connection with her death.

Kessler said he and Overholts connected when he noticed the Pennsylvania tags on her 2008 silver Hyundai Elantra. He struck up a conversation with her, and they discovered they both were from Erie, Pennsylvania.

When he found out she had no place to live, he invited her to stay at his house.

Delgado didn't provide specifics on when they met or how long she'd been in Tampa Bay.

At 4:25 p.m. Nov. 11, fishermen discovered the Overholts' leg floating in McKay Bay at the 22nd Street Causeway Licata Bridge in Port Tampa.

The following day, police divers began conducting a search and found additional body parts before noon Friday, Nov. 12.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner promptly ruled her death a homicide.

Police were able to identify Overholts after the media posted a photo of a tattoo on her severed leg of three hearts with the names of three men in the hearts. Those three names turned out to be the names of her sons, Sean Overholts, Gregory Overholts and Zach Overholts, who live in the Lake City and Erie, Pennsylvania area.

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Once police identified Overholts, they learned her mother, who still lives in Erie, had reported her missing to the Erie police the same day the severed leg was found.

More tips led police to Kessler's home where they interviewed him on Nov. 14. He told police she had stayed at his house but had left several weeks before, and he wasn't aware of where she went.

"But from our investigation, it was determined that what he was telling us was not factual," Delgado said.

Two days later, on Nov. 16, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office discovered Overholts' missing Hyundai with blood inside.

They returned to Kessler's home with a search warrant Saturday and found matching blood in the house along with a pair of Overholts' shoes.

Kessler, who has a criminal history of mostly drug-related crimes, was arrested and held on drug charges.

On Wednesday, following an investigation that involved the Hillsborough and Pasco sheriff's office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren agreed there was enough evidence to charge Kessler.

Delgado explained the reason for the unusual late-night news conference.

"We thought it was important to let the Tampa Bay community know that the person responsible for this heinous crime is off the streets," he said, adding, "We feel confident we have the right person."

Delgado declined to release the cause of death, saying the medical examiner's report is not complete.

"The detectives still have a lot of work to do," he said.

Overholts' family gave permission for Tampa police to release her name and photo.

It's unclear what she was doing in Tampa Bay.

According to the personal information on her Facebook page, she attended McDowell High School in Erie and studied at Mercyhurst University and Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. She also noted that she previously worked at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Erie.

She later made her way to Jacksonville, which is the last place she mentioned living on her Facebook page. She listed her status as single.

In a prepared statement on behalf of the family, her oldest son, Sean, said, "My family and I are devastated. This has been a living nightmare. It is unimaginable what she went through. My mother will be deeply missed.”

See related stories:

• Body Parts Found In Tampa Bay Belonged To Lutz Woman: Police
• Tampa Police Divers Find More Body Parts In McKay Bay Friday