Multiple detectives continue investigating case of slain pet sitter, Fernandina Beach police say

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Police section hosted municipality hallway gathering Wednesday evening connected homicide probe

Photo of Colleen Potts from household member. (News4Jax.com.)

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – The Fernandina Beach Police Department hosted a municipality hallway gathering Wednesday evening to supply an update connected the probe into the decease of a favored sitter.

During the meeting, which took spot astatine the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center connected Elm Street, investigators said they’ve conducted 25 interviews; collected 85 pieces of evidence, each of which is being processed for DNA; taken 989 photos; and reviewed aggregate surveillance camera videos.

Colleen Potts, of Yulee, was found dormant successful October successful a location connected South 13th Street adjacent Date Street successful Fernandina Beach. Police described Potts’ decease arsenic “a unspeakable tragedy.” They are investigating her decease arsenic a homicide, and aggregate detectives proceed to analyse the case.

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When asked Wednesday astir the origin of death, Deputy Chief Jeff Tambasco said the accusation is pertinent to the probe and that investigators were not prepared to merchandise it.

Officers said they responded soon aft 9 p.m. Oct. 24 to the location for a wellbeing cheque and recovered Potts, who was favored sitting for the homeowner, dormant inside.

Potts was past seen successful the aboriginal hours of that evening driving her car, constabulary said.

Police said idiosyncratic whitethorn person entered Potts’ unlocked achromatic Kia Soul the nighttime earlier she was recovered dormant and taken wealth that was near successful the car. That is being investigated, constabulary said.

Police noted that the location wherever she was recovered was not successful disarray and determination were nary evident signs of a struggle. The dogs that were protective of the location erstwhile constabulary showed up were besides not injured and were inactive wrong the location erstwhile constabulary showed up.

Detectives said the lawsuit is inactive being reviewed and they’re pursuing up connected a ample fig of leads. Neighbors, similar Melinda Prevatt, are anxious for an arrest.

“It’s conscionable highly frustrating due to the fact that it’s truthful uncommon present and Colleen took each precaution imaginable to support herself,” Prevatt said. “It’s conscionable concerning that being a tiny assemblage knowing however protective she was that this inactive happened.”

Family members, galore of whom unrecorded retired of state, have setup a GoFundMe. It states that wealth volition beryllium utilized to money a ceremony, memorialize Colleen with a parkland seat and a donation to the Humane Society.

The constabulary section is partnering with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office and a backstage laboratory arsenic portion of the investigation.

Police said they don’t judge determination is simply a menace to the public.