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Hernando County is located on the West coast of Central Florida. The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services to a population of approximately 186,000, including the City of Brooksville. This is an increase of nearly 318% since 1980, and Hernando continues to be regarded as one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is committed to responding to the needs of the citizens of Hernando County. Our mission is to maintain peace and order, safeguard life and property, and protect individual rights through the delivery of professional services. The measure of our service will be judged by the community.
The information below pertains to some of Hernando County's unsolved major cases. If you have any information about these cases, you are urged to contact Det. Goerge Loydgren of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office:
(352) 754-6830 Click here to contact our Cold Case Unit via E-mail Anonymous tips can be made by calling 1-866-990-8477 or online - Submit a tip here UNSOLVED HOMICIDES - Last Updated 5/3/2019
LEWIS, DOMINIQUE DEVON
12/11/2007
Case # 2007-42296
Dominique Lewis age 19 and a resident of St. Petersburg Florida was murdered shortly after Thanksgiving 2007. Her body was discovered on December 11, 2007 in a wooded area off Brooksville Rock Rd, in Brooksville, Hernando County Florida. Dominique was a medical student at the Ultimate Medical Academy in Clearwater Florida.
MARCH, RICHARD LEO
12-23-2001
Case # 2001-23873
Between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm on 12-23-2001, Richard March was killed by unknown person(s). The homicide occurred at the D.A.B. Construction complex on Spring Hill Dr., just west of U.S. 41, where Richard was working as a security guard. Click here to view the alert bulletin for this case.
JOHNSON, JESSIE
01-26-1998
Case # 98-01314
On Monday, January 26, 1998, Jessie Johnson sustained severe injuries as a result of a fire intentionally set to his residence on Josephine St., in South Brooksville. Jessie died several days later due to complications associated with the injuries from the fire.
On the evening of the fire, witnesses observed two subjects in front of Jessie’s residence minutes before the fire started. It has been 10 years since this investigation first began and the Sheriff's Office is actively pursuing the case.
LEONARD, CARRIE
06-19-1997
Case # 1999-12929
Carrie Leonard was last seen leaving a party in central Hernando County, Florida with a male friend named Anthony "Tony" Ford. On 08-17-1999, her skeletal remains were recovered in central Hernando County.
ODOM, JENNIFER
02-25-1993
Case # 93-02447
On 02-19-1993, 12-year-old Jennifer Odom was abducted from her bus stop after school in eastern Pasco County, Florida. Her body was later recovered in east-central Hernando County, Florida. Click here to read more information on this case.
AVERY, JAMES
08-06-1990
Case # 90-11289
On 08-06-1990, the skeletal remains of James Avery were recovered in south central Hernando County, Florida. The victim was last seen in his hometown of Walhalla, South Carolina on 11-26-1986. He left to travel to Florida, supposedly to meet with his ex-wife, who was believed to be in the area of Naples, Florida.
VANWORMER, JILL
05-15-1990
Case # 90-07261
Victim Jill Vanwormer was employed as an auto parts delivery person for a company in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. She was reported missing to Pinellas County, Florida authorities on 04-08-1986, after she failed to return from an auto parts delivery call.
On 04-09-1986, her auto parts delivery vehicle was located in western Hernando County, Florida. On 05-15-1990, her skeletal remains were found in northwestern Hernando County.
DAVENPORT, YVONNE
03-22-1987
Case # 87-03741
Victim Yvonne Davenport was found murdered in the south/central area of Hernando County, Florida on 03-22-1987. She had been previously employed as an exotic dancer in the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida area.
JERONIMUS, TIMOTHY
10-05-1982
Case # 82-18866
Timothy Jeronimus was found murdered in eastern Hernando County, Florida on 10-05-1982. He had previously lived in the state of Illinois.
GREEN, LUCIAN
11-30-1981
Case # 81-22053
Lucian Green was murdered on 11-30-1981 at about 8:45 pm. He was attempting to obtain description and tag information from a vehicle that had fled the scene of an attempted commercial burglary to a gas station located at I-75 and S.R. 50 in eastern Hernando County, Florida.
Ricky Merrill and Dori Colyer
5/9/1981
Case #BPD-1981-016687
On May 9th, 1981 Ricky Merrill and Dori Colyer were last seen leaving the Hilltop Lounge in Brooksville, Florida. They told friends they would return shortly, however they never returned. At approximately 2:30 am Hernando County Fire Department responded to a call for a brush fire at the 300 block of Stafford Avenue in Brooksville. Upon arrival they discovered a vehicle on fire. Subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two bodies that were later identified as Ricky Merrill and Dori Colyer.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation please contact Detective George Loydgren with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit. Telephone (352) 797-3714.
MILLER, JOSEPH
02-06-1977
Case # 77-1106
On 12-18-1976, Joseph Miller was reported as missing. He was last seen on 12-14-1976 (HCSO 76-08964). The victim's vehicle was later found abandoned in central Hernando County, Florida. On 02-06-1977, the victim's body was recovered in central Hernando County.
NORTON, LOUISE
03-10-1973
Case # 73-08344
On 03-10-1973, Louise Norton was found murdered in the south Brooksville area of Hernando County, Florida. Prior to her death, it was reported that she was involved in an argument with someone, possibly her"common law" husband, Cassie Andrews.
JANE DOE
07-19-1972
Case # 72-06053
On 07/19/1972 the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in the area of High Corner Road and Cortez Blvd. (State Road 50), Brooksville, Hernando County, FL. It is highly possible the woman had recently traveled from Alabama or north Florida.
The white female is described as being 30 to 40 years of age, approximately 5’0” tall, 125-145 lbs., and with short brown hair. She had six upper and six lower teeth. The woman was found wrapped in a bedspread with a distinctive pattern, possibly a “Pineapple Damask” print. There were three square corners and one rounded corner.
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