![]() ![]() Relatives and business associates said they hadn’t heard from the victim. Police had discovered the victim’s Shore Acres home spattered with blood and bullet holes. Petersburg exotic-goods dealer who was never found. In 1987, a jury convicted Steven White of first-degree murder in the death of a St. That was years before modern DNA testing gave investigators a powerful tool and decades before suspects would leave digital bread crumbs with their phones. Tampa Bay assistant state attorneys have prosecuted bodyless homicides for decades, including high-profile cases in the 1980s and ‘90s. “And that’s not true.” “Develop a strong motive” Petersburg police detective Jim Culverson, who investigated the homicide of a missing 17-year-old that resulted in a conviction despite a body never being found. “A lot of these other cases you see on TV, if there’s no body, there’s no crime,” said retired St. ![]() Local attorneys and police who’ve handled such cases say circumstantial and forensic evidence can convince a jury. In fact, according to research by one former federal homicide prosecutor, these cases have a higher conviction rate than murder cases overall. While homicide cases in which a body is never found are uncommon, Tampa Bay prosecutors have won convictions in a handful of cases missing that key piece of evidence. ![]()
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