In a shocking incident last June, a woman was brutally beaten to death outside a Church’s Chicken restaurant in Tampa, Florida. The accused, 54-year-old Michael Canty, is facing charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of 48-year-old Dawn Morrison. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies were called to the fast-food restaurant on E. Fletcher Ave. on the morning of June 18 to investigate a death. Morrison’s partially decomposed body was found concealed under mulch near the drive-thru lane of the restaurant.
An autopsy revealed that Morrison had died from a blow to the head. Surveillance footage suggested that she had died on June 15, as per a motion for pretrial detention. Several videos from nearby businesses captured images of Morrison and a man, later identified as Canty, walking together behind the restaurant shortly before midnight. Although the actual murder was not recorded, the surveillance cameras picked up a woman’s voice shouting “quit it, quit it” and “help.”
The footage also showed the man leaving the area, changing his shirt, and discarding items in a dumpster. Police released a photo of the man from the surveillance images, and an officer identified a man matching the description a few blocks from the crime scene on June 20. The suspect was identified as Canty.
Detectives noted that Canty was wearing the same pants and boots seen in the surveillance footage and was carrying a New England Patriots drawstring bag. Initially, Canty denied having seen Morrison since the day before her murder. However, when confronted with the surveillance images showing him with Morrison on the night of her death, he changed his story. He claimed that he had left Morrison sitting on a curb near the restaurant and had discarded his shirt because it was “dirty.”
Canty was arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol, and a search warrant was obtained to examine his pants and boots. The Florida Department of Corrections crime lab tested the blood found on his clothing, which matched both Canty and Morrison. Canty was also arrested for failing to report as a sex offender in October and again on February 6.
During an interview with detectives, Canty continued to deny accompanying Morrison to the Church’s Chicken restaurant. When shown the video of him near the restaurant, he admitted it was possible he had been there but claimed he did not remember. Canty denied murdering Morrison and could not explain why her blood was found on his pants.
In addition to the murder charge, Canty is also facing a charge of tampering with evidence for disposing of his shirt. He is currently being held at the Hillsborough County Jail without bond. “Our detectives worked tirelessly to bring justice for Dawn Morrison,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Their dedication and relentless investigative efforts led to this arrest, ensuring that the individual responsible faces the consequences of their actions.”