TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Police are piecing together the timeline of two connected deaths that left a man and a woman dead early Monday morning.
The investigation started around 1:20 a.m. on May 25 when officers were called to the 6900 block of North Central Avenue. People in the area had reported a vehicle just sitting idle in the middle of the road. When police arrived, they found a man dead inside the car from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was the only person in the vehicle.
While investigators were still working at that scene, another call came in a few hours later. At 6:23 a.m., officers were sent to a house in the 200 block of East Patterson Street after receiving a report about an unresponsive woman.
Inside the home, first responders found smoke and structural damage showing that a fire had recently broken out. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine exactly how she died as detectives continue to collect evidence from the house.
Police say both investigations are still in the very early stages, but they have confirmed that these were not random acts. Detectives know the man and woman were acquainted with each other, though they are still trying to figure out the exact nature of their relationship and what happened in the hours leading up to their deaths.
Authorities are asking the public to help fill in the blanks. Detectives want neighbors to check their home security cameras for anything unusual. Anyone with video footage or other information is asked to call the Tampa Police at 813-231-6130, or leave a tip with Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 800-873-TIPS.
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