ST PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was arrested after a woman was found dead in a St. Petersburg hotel room Thursday morning.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Holiday Inn Express located at 4816 100th Way North at 11:35 a.m. after an employee reported that a person was dead in one of the rooms.
When deputies arrived at the hotel, they found a woman on the floor of the room, wrapped in a blanket with sheets, towels, and clothing on top of her.
The woman, identified as Emma Mullins, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies said there were blood stains, overturned furniture, and broken glass throughout the room, with obvious signs of trauma to Mullins.
During the investigation, detectives learned that an altercation had taken place between Mullins and the suspect, identified as Paul Stottler, 38.
Courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
The sheriff’s office did not release information regarding how the two knew each other.
Video surveillance showed Mullins and Stottler entering the room, and Stottler leaving the room hours later, carrying several bags that he disposed of in the hotel parking lot dumpster, deputies said.
Detectives searched the dumpster and found three documents with Mullins’ name concealed in an ice bucket, as well as bedding and a pair of men’s pants stained with blood.
Stottler was arrested on a second-degree murder charge and taken to the Pinellas County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
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