Detectives search for mysterious '90s Florida homicide case caller

​Detectives from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office are actively seeking to locate an individual who provided a tip to Manatee County Crime Stoppers in March of 1997 regarding a homicide investigation dating back to 1996. This information was disclosed in an official announcement made by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office yesterday.

While the recent post by the Sheriff's Office did not divulge extensive details due to ongoing investigative concerns, it did shed light on the original case.

According to information released in the post, at the time, investigators were looking into the discovery of an unidentified female whose lifeless body was found in a body of water near the intersection of U.S. Hwy 41 and I-275 in Palmetto. Despite their efforts, the homicide case eventually went cold, and no arrests were ever made.

In an effort to reignite this long-standing investigation, detectives are reviewing old case files and believe that the individual who anonymously provided crucial information in 1997 may hold vital clues necessary to solve this 26-year-old cold case.

Authorities are urging this individual to come forward and assist in providing any additional information they might possess.
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Detective Charles Butler of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (941) 747-3011 Ext. 2551 and is prepared to receive any information that could aid in bringing closure to this decades-old case.