Deputies said Emma Mullins, 76, was found concealed inside a room after a violent struggle.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 38-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a 76-year-old woman was found dead June 25 inside a Holiday Inn Express hotel room in St. Petersburg, authorities said.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found Emma Mullins dead after a hotel employee reported a body in one of the rooms at 4816 100th Way North. Investigators identified Paul Stottler as the suspect and said evidence in the room showed a violent altercation had taken place.
Deputies responded at about 11:35 a.m. and found Mullins on the floor, wrapped in a blanket and covered with sheets, towels and clothing, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials said the items appeared to have been placed over her in an attempt to conceal her body. Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene. “The investigation continues,” the sheriff’s office said in its public statement.
Investigators said the room showed signs of a struggle, including blood stains, overturned furniture and broken glass. Law enforcement records reviewed by Law&Crime said Mullins suffered blunt force trauma to her face and body. Authorities have not said what led to the altercation, and they have not released details about the relationship, if any, between Mullins and Stottler.
Surveillance video showed Mullins and Stottler entering the hotel room together the night before she was found, deputies said. Stottler was later seen leaving alone several hours later while carrying multiple bags. Investigators said he disposed of the bags in a dumpster in the hotel parking lot.
Detectives searched the dumpster and found three documents bearing Mullins’ name concealed in an ice bucket, along with bedding and a pair of men’s pants stained with blood, the sheriff’s office said. After his arrest, Stottler reportedly admitted to dumping evidence when he left the hotel, according to Law&Crime.
Mullins’ next of kin has been notified. The sheriff’s office identified her as a St. Petersburg resident. Stottler was listed by authorities as transient. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail after his arrest and charged with murder in the second degree.
Stottler was being held without bond, according to the report. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday as prosecutors and investigators continue reviewing evidence from the hotel room, surveillance footage and recovered items from the dumpster.