Florida Police Reveal Theories Regarding Footage Released In Suspected Serial Killer Case

Police in Tampa, Florida, released a video which is a collection of edited CCTV footages on Thursday in regard to a person of interest in three murders that took place in the neighborhood of Seminole Heights in October. The police chief also put forward some likely explanations behind the video’s contents.

The video showed an individual strolling down and later running away from the area close to where Benjamin Edward Mitchell, a 22-year-old aspiring musician and community college student and the first victim, was shot and killed. While Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan has warned against buying into the various speculations that are bound to emerge after the footage was released to the public, he also put forward some of his own theories regarding the actions of the individual, as seen in the video.

"I've come up with four reasons why this person is running," Dugan told reporters at a news conference Thursday, Chicago Tribune reported. "One: They may be late for dinner. Two: They're out exercising. Three: They heard gunshots. And number 4: They just murdered Benjamin Mitchell."

The theories surfaced after Dugan posited the following question and subsequent answer regarding person seen in the footage, immediately after it was released: “The cop in me says, ‘Why are you running seconds after the murder of Benjamin Mitchell?’ And that’s the answer we want. It appears that they are walking toward where Benjamin Mitchell was, and then they are running away from the scene.”

However, since the footage has been shot from a distance, it is difficult to make out the tender age of the individual, who has shot to the top of the potential suspects’ list. However, Dugan is hopeful that the low quality of the video would not keep people from identifying the person in it, especially if it’s someone who happens to know him or her. “If that were me in that video, I have to believe that my neighbors would be able to identify me,” Dugan said.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on the other hand, did not sugarcoat his words when it comes to warning the perpetrator. “We're going to hunt this son of a b---- down until we catch him,” Buckhorn told police officers Wednesday afternoon. “This guy is not going to win. He’s not taking over this neighborhood. You guys go hunt him down and bring his head to me.”

Meanwhile, with a killer on the loose, the spirit of Halloween will most likely get dampened this year in the neighborhood of Seminole Heights. People have been warned against walking home alone. Nevertheless, in order to make sure that people still get to enjoy the tradition of trick-or-treating, Dugan has offered to walk with families on Halloween night.

The Tampa police had previously laid out a reward of $25,000 for anyone who comes forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the killer. The offer has now been revised to $30,000.