Cold Cases in Florida
ColdCaseIndex documents 41 cold cases in Florida, spanning 1966–2024. 16 of these cases remain fully unsolved. Each case page includes documented details, status, and information on how to submit a tip.
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All Florida Cases
Madeline Soto
Thirteen-year-old Madeline Soto was murdered by her mother's boyfriend Stephan Sterns in Kissimmee, Florida. He was found to have sexually abused her for years. He faces the death penalty.
Brian Laundrie (confession)
Brian Laundrie's remains were found in Carlton Reserve, Florida with a notebook confession. He admitted to killing Gabby Petito and wrote that he thought he was 'ending her life mercifully.'
Miya Marcano
Nineteen-year-old college student Miya Marcano disappeared from her apartment complex in Orange County, Florida where she worked. Suspect Armando Caballero, a maintenance worker with unauthorized access to her apartment,
Jorge Torres Jr.
Jorge Torres Jr. was found dead inside a suitcase in Winter Park, Florida. His girlfriend Sarah Boone claimed he died during a hide-and-seek game. She filmed him begging to be let out.
Parkland Shooting Victims
Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He was sentenced to life without parole.
XXXTentacion
Rapper XXXTentacion (Jahseh Onfroy) was shot and killed during a robbery outside a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Four men were convicted in 2024.
Teresa Sievers
Dr. Teresa Sievers was bludgeoned to death in her Bonita Springs, Florida home. Her husband Mark hired two friends to murder her. All three were convicted.
Jordan Davis
Seventeen-year-old Jordan Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael Dunn following an argument over loud music. Dunn fired into the vehicle claiming self-defense. He was convicted of first-degree murder in
Tyler Hadley Victims
Seventeen-year-old Tyler Hadley bludgeoned his parents to death with a hammer, hid their bodies in a bedroom, and then hosted a house party. He was sentenced to life.
Ben McDaniel
Experienced cave diver Ben McDaniel entered Vortex Spring, a popular underwater cave system in Florida, and never surfaced. Despite extensive searches of the cave system, his body was never found, leading to theories tha
Haleigh Cummings
Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings vanished from her father's mobile home in Satsuma, Florida. Her father's girlfriend Misty Croslin was babysitting. No one has been charged.
Caylee Anthony
Two-year-old Caylee Anthony disappeared in June 2008. Her mother Casey Anthony waited 31 days before reporting her missing. Caylee's skeletal remains were found near the family home in December 2008. Casey Anthony was ac
Denise Amber Lee
Twenty-three-year-old Denise Amber Lee was abducted by Michael King from her North Port, Florida home. She called 911 from her abductor's car but dispatchers failed to properly respond. King was convicted and executed in
Brandy Hall
Volusia County firefighter Brandy Hall vanished during her shift at a fire station in DeBary, Florida. Her personal belongings were left behind, and she has never been found.
Jennifer Kesse
Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Orlando condominium complex. Surveillance footage captured an unidentified person driving her car. Despite national media coverage and a $125,000 reward, Jennifer
Trenton Duckett
Trenton Duckett, a 2-year-old boy, disappeared from his Leesburg, Florida, bedroom in 2006, with a cut window screen the only sign of an intruder. His mother and sole suspect, Melinda Duckett, died by suicide days later,
Jessica Lunsford
Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted from her Homosassa home and murdered by registered sex offender John Couey. Her remains were found in a bag buried near Couey's trailer. She had been buried alive. Couey was co
Carlie Brucia
Eleven-year-old Carlie Brucia was abducted from a car wash in Sarasota on Super Bowl Sunday while walking home. Surveillance footage of her abduction was broadcast nationally. Joseph P. Smith was convicted of her murder
Terrance Williams
Terrance Williams disappeared after a traffic stop in Naples, Florida. Deputy Steven Calkins, who had also been the last person to see another missing man, was fired but never charged.
Terrance Williams & Felipe Santos
Two men disappeared on separate occasions after being detained by the same Collier County deputy. Felipe Santos vanished in 2003 and Terrance Williams in 2004. The deputy, Steven Calkins, was fired but never charged. Nei
Terrence Williams & Felipe Santos
Terrence Williams and Felipe Santos both separately disappeared after being given rides by Collier County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Calkins, who dropped them at their destinations according to his account. Neither man was e
Aileen Wuornos (execution)
Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men along Florida highways, was executed in 2002. She had abandoned her appeals, saying she wanted to die. The case explored how childhood trauma can create killers.
Rilya Wilson
Rilya Wilson, a 4-year-old Miami foster child, disappeared while in the care of Geralyn Graham but was not reported missing by Florida's child-welfare system for roughly 15 months. Graham was convicted of kidnapping and
Diane Augat
Diane Augat disappeared from the Tampa Bay area of Florida. Her severed finger was found in a bag at a Zephyrhills gas station nine days later, but she was never found. The bizarre circumstances of her case remain unexpl
Maddie Clifton
Eight-year-old Maddie Clifton was murdered by her 14-year-old neighbor Joshua Phillips, who hid her body under his waterbed for a week. When his mother discovered the body, she called police. Phillips was tried as an adu
Don Lewis
Millionaire exotic animal owner Don Lewis vanished in Tampa, Florida. The Netflix series 'Tiger King' revived interest in the case, implicating his wife Carole Baskin. He was declared legally dead in 2002.
Gianni Versace
Fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by spree killer Andrew Cunanan. Cunanan had already killed four others across the country before targeting Versace. He killed himself on a
Sabrina Aisenberg
Five-month-old Sabrina Aisenberg vanished from her crib in Valrico, Florida, on November 24, 1997. Her parents were later indicted on charges that were dismissed, and the infant has never been found.
Dr. John Bayard Britton
Abortion provider Dr. John Britton and his clinic escort James Barrett were shot dead outside a Pensacola clinic by anti-abortion activist Paul Jennings Hill. Hill was convicted and executed in 2003, the first person exe
Gainesville Ripper Victims
Danny Rolling murdered five University of Florida students in three days in Gainesville, Florida. He was sentenced to death and executed in 2006. The murders inspired the film Scream. Rolling's method of killing and posi
Aileen Wuornos Victims
Aileen Wuornos killed seven men along Florida highways, claiming self-defense. She was convicted of six murders and executed in 2002. She became one of America's most studied female serial killers, with multiple books an
Tiffany Sessions
Tiffany Sessions, a 20-year-old University of Florida student, disappeared on February 9, 1989, after leaving for an afternoon walk near her Gainesville apartment. Investigators have named the late serial killer Paul Row
Julie Doe (Pamela Leigh Walton)
On September 25, 1988, the remains of an unidentified woman were found in the Green Swamp off County Road 474 near Clermont, Florida. A 2015 DNA test revealed the decedent, nicknamed "Julie Doe," was a transgender woman,
Christopher Wilder Victims
Australian-born serial killer Christopher Wilder kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least eight young women during a six-week cross-country crime spree in 1984. He was killed during his capture. Some of his victims have n
Tammy Lynn Leppert
Tammy Lynn Leppert, an 18-year-old model and aspiring actress, vanished in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1983 after reportedly becoming fearful and agitated, and has never been found.
Adam Walsh
Six-year-old Adam Walsh was abducted from a Sears store in Hollywood, Florida. His severed head was found two weeks later. The case transformed his father John Walsh into a victims' rights advocate who created America's
FSU Chi Omega Murders
Ted Bundy broke into the Chi Omega sorority at Florida State University, killing two women and injuring two others. He also attacked a student at another location that night. Bundy was identified via bite mark evidence a
Kimberly Leach
Twelve-year-old Kimberly Leach was the last victim of Ted Bundy, abducted from her middle school in Lake City, Florida. Her remains were found in a pig shed. Bundy was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death, late
Ted Bundy Victims
Ted Bundy confessed to 30 homicides across seven states, though the actual number is believed higher. He was executed in Florida in 1989. His final crimes were committed at Florida State University, where he attacked sor
Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee (Maureen "Cookie" Rowan)
On February 19, 1971, hitchhikers found the body of a young woman beneath the Interstate 75 bridge over Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County, Florida; she had been strangled with a man's belt. Known for decades only as "Lit
Nancy Leichner & Pamela Nater
Nancy Leichner, 21, and Pamela Nater, 20, vanished on October 2, 1966, during a skin-diving club picnic at Alexander Springs in Florida's Ocala National Forest, leaving their belongings on a picnic table. In 2007, after