PUNTA GORDA, FL — A 48-year-old woman was arrested in Sarasota County after confessing to the murder of her 76-year-old roommate in Punta Gorda, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Shannon Giblin was charged with murder (not premeditated) and grand theft of a motor vehicle.
Charlotte County deputies responded to reports of a person not breathing at home on Gewant Boulevard on Sunday night.
They found the victim, Paul De Wayne Bradley, dead “and beyond help,” investigators said.
His pickup truck was missing from the driveway, and detectives determined that it had been driven to Sarasota County.
SCSO deputies found the truck, driven by Giblin, who had been identified as a possible suspect in Bradley’s death and was detained in Sarasota County.
While questioned by Charlotte County detectives, Giblin confessed to stabbing Bradley after an argument, CCSO said.
She covered his body with a tarp and left the home in his truck.
Giblin is being held without bond.
“I want to recognize my Major Crimes detectives who worked this case through the night and identified the suspect quickly. They truly show a dedication to their craft and the results are irrefutable. I also want to thank the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in locating and detaining her based on the intelligence my team was able to share. As I have always said, Southwest Florida is fortunate to have law enforcement who work together so effectively for the people we serve,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said.
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