Three Florida Cold Case Murders

Florida Cold Case: Three Murders, Three Families That Deserve Justice

A cold case is any criminal investigation by a law enforcement agency that has not been solved for (generally) at least one year and, as a result, has been closed from further regular investigations.

The three cases featured below today, are out of Lake County, Florida, from the town of Leesburg.

Josephine Williams 

Sometime between the period of Thursday, August 24, 1989, at 7:30 pm and Saturday, August 26, 1989, at 10:40 am, an unknown person(s) entered the home of 76-year-old Josephine Williams located at 2107 Waitman Ave., Leesburg, Fl and murdered her. 

Sometime between the period of Thursday, August 24, 1989, at 7:30 pm and Saturday, August 26, 1989, at 10:40 am, an unknown person(s) entered the home of 76-year-old Josephine Williams located at 2107 Waitman Ave., Leesburg, Fl and murdered her. 

She was found dead lying on the floor of the kitchen.  There appeared to have been a struggle between Ms. Williams and her assailant(s).  It is currently unknown as to what the motive was for this crime.  Ms. Williams did live alone, with family periodically coming by to check on her. 

Harvel D. Golden 

The man was later identified as Harvel Dean Golden who was 54 years of age.  Golden was a transient who had been living in the area for about one year.  He was discovered lying on a mattress in the woods deceased, with dried blood around the head area.  He appeared to have been beaten to death.  It is currently unknown as to what the motive was for this crime.

On Tuesday, June 20, 1995, at approximately 1:04 pm, police responded to 815 N. 14St. where juveniles riding their bicycles through the area of woods discovered a white male who appeared to be deceased.

The man was later identified as Harvel Dean Golden who was 54 years of age.  Golden was a transient who had been living in the area for about one year.  He was discovered lying on a mattress in the woods deceased, with dried blood around the head area.  He appeared to have been beaten to death.  It is currently unknown as to what the motive was for this crime.

Jeffery Brown

Brown was shot at least once in the torso area, in an apartment bedroom.  Brown died before emergency medical personnel could get to the scene.  A woman who was in the apartment with Brown at the time, told police that two masked men dressed entirely in black entered the apartment and tried to rob them, which led to the shooting.  After shooting Brown, the men fled the area in an unknown direction without any cash.

On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at approximately 4:48 am, 36-year-old Jeffery Brown was shot and killed during an attempted robbery at 425 S. Ninth St. (Villa Maison Apartments).

Brown was shot at least once in the torso area, in an apartment bedroom.  Brown died before emergency medical personnel could get to the scene.  

A woman who was in the apartment with Brown at the time told police that two masked men dressed entirely in black entered the apartment and tried to rob them, which led to the shooting.  After shooting Brown, the men fled the area in an unknown direction without any cash.

The Leesburg Police Department remains committed to the families of homicide victims in bringing those responsible for these acts to justice. It is based on that commitment that this Unsolved Homicides page is being presented to you as we ask for your assistance. Frequently cases are solved due to a citizen coming forward and providing that vital piece of evidence that had been previously unknown to authorities.

No matter how small or insignificant you feel your information might seem, please provide it to:

Leesburg Police Department at 352-787-2121  or  Crime Line (up to $5,000 reward) at 800-423-8477 (TIPS)

All information provided to the department is assessed as a part of the bigger picture or entire puzzle. Many times there is only one missing piece needed to bring a case to justice. Your assistance could make the difference in bringing justice and closure to a victim and their family. 

Check out Tampafp.com for PoliticsTampa Area Local NewsSports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GoFundMe or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here

Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. It’s Free And Coming To Apple Users Soon

Login To Facebook To Comment
Share This: