Last month, a gruesome discovery was made in Tampa, Florida, after a fisherman in McKay Bay spotted something floating in the water. As he inched closer, the man instantly saw what appeared to be several dismembered body parts — one of which had a distinct-looking tattoo with several names. Authorities were soon called to the scene, and the body parts were taken to a medical examiner who spent weeks trying to identify who they belonged to. Eventually, authorities got their answer: The tattooed body parts belonged to Stephanie Crone-Overholts, a 47-year-old mother from Pennsylvania reported missing just hours before her remains were found. And now, one man is in custody on suspicion of murder.
According to the victim's mother, Crone-Overholts had recently moved to Florida when she suddenly disappeared.
Shortly before she vanished, the Pennsylvania mom allegedly messaged her mother saying that she needed help, reported Fox 13. But as for why — and whether she elaborated on this in her message — police are not yet saying.
HOMICIDE. Update on the remains found in McKay Bay in #Tampa. The victim has been identified as Stephanie Crone-Overholts. The family has given permission to release this photo. The Medical Examiner has ruled the case a homicide. @wfla #florida pic.twitter.com/32OUADXxFv
— Josh Benson (@WFLAJosh) November 20, 2021
Crone-Overholts was officially reported missing on November 11, when her mother grew worried over her lack of contact. Little did she know her daughter was already dead by that point and pieces of her body were floating in a Florida bay.
A heart-shaped tattoo was found on a leg and bore three names: Sean, Zach, and Greg.
Along with the other body parts recovered from the bay, it seemed clear that whoever put them there never wanted them to be found. But once they were, the mystery quickly deepened.
"It's a murder and dismemberment, that potentially leads to something that probably was personal," said Stacy Arruda, a retired Tampa FBI agent, in an interview with Fox 13.
Once the body parts were identified, it certainly did seem as though the crime was personal.
And the more detectives dug into Crone-Overholts' past, the more that seemed likely.
Police spoke with several eyewitnesses who visited McKay Bay in the days before November 11, according to a report by WFLA. On November 7, several of them reported hearing "loud splashes" in the water, which drew their attention to an older white man standing on the side of a bridge. At the time he was holding a black garbage bag, which he dropped into the water as soon as he spotted the fishermen.
Other witnesses recalled having similar sightings — such as the man who said he went fishing on November 9 and saw an older white man standing on the 22nd Street Bridge. As he watched, the fisherman saw the man throwing what appeared to be bins over the side of the bridge, and when the man left, the fisherman went to investigate.
After paddling closer to the bin, however, the fisherman noticed that “the bins had a very foul odor and he didn’t open it up," WFLA reported.
Armed with this knowledge — and the identity of the missing woman — police were able to close in on a suspect quickly.
It was soon learned that Crones-Overholts had been staying with a 69-year-old man in Lutz, Florida, for several weeks before she disappeared. His name was Robert Kessler — and he was indeed an "older man" with "white hair." He also drove a dark Dodge minivan, which matched the description of a car many of the witnesses saw at the crime scene when the body parts were thrown into the water.
#BREAKING: Robert Kessler has been indicted on a higher first-degree murder charge.
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) December 9, 2021
Kessler is accused of killing and dismembering Stephanie Crone-Overholts then disposing her body parts in Tampa's McKay Bay. https://t.co/6Trc4V79Tu pic.twitter.com/Hyzua02z5z
In addition, Kessler's account of what happened before the mother vanished just didn't seem to jive with the one his 8-year-old daughter gave police.
Finally, by early December, Kessler was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and felony abuse of a human body. But he wasn't hard to find — at the time of his arrest, Kessler was actually already in prison on an unrelated drug charge.
According to reports, the 69-year-old has denied having any involvement in the death of Cron-Overhols.
But at least for now, the evidence seems to contradict that statement, pointing investigators in his direction.
"[Kessler] has committed a dangerous crime, and the facts and circumstances indicate a disregard for the safety of the community," explained State Attorney Andrew Warren in a motion to the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. He added that "there are no conditions of release that will adequately protect the community."
The mother's family continues to grieve her loss in private.
One of her sons, whose name is Sean, called his mother's death “a living nightmare" and said that the family is "anxious for justice to be served."
"It is unimaginable what she went through,"he recently told Fox 13. "My mother will be deeply missed.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).
Watch the video to learn more about the Pennaylania mom's gruesome discovery, as well as where the case stands now.
Source: cafemom.com
