Possible Serial Killer in Tampa

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Fourth slaying stokes fear of a Tampa serial killer — and police say suspect may be an area resident

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The reprieve from the mysterious killings that have paralyzed Seminole Heights lasted about a month.

The first three people were killed in an 11-day period — all within a one-mile radius — in mid-October. Police knew of no motive and had no details about a possible suspect. They warned residents not to walk alone at night. Foot traffic dried up. Residents stopped lounging on their porches. Halloween festivities proceeded cautiously, with Tampa’s mayor and interim police chief joining children to trick-or-treat as a show of faith in the community.

Fear saturated the neighborhood. There was talk of a serial killer.

Then, shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call and found Ronald Felton, 60, dead in the street blocks from the other slayings. Another victim, seemingly at random. The fourth one.

“I know the big question’s going to be: Is this related to the other Seminole Heights murders?” interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said. “And right now we are treating it as though it is related until we can rule otherwise.”

Felton had been crossing Nebraska Avenue, one of the neighborhood’s main north-south thoroughfares, when a man came up behind him and shot him, Dugan said.

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In contrast to the three earlier killings, this time police had a description of the suspect, thanks to a witness who heard a gunshot and saw someone running from the scene on foot. The suspect was described as a black male with a light complexion, about 6 feet tall, with a thin build; he was dressed in all-black clothing and had a large pistol, police said.

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