The deceased woman who was discovered wrapped in a trash bag off the coast of Florida last weekend has been identified by the FBI, who are now describing her death as “strange.”
The woman who was discovered floating off Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay on Saturday was Heather Rose Strickland, 34, according to the FBI’s Tampa Field Office.
“Heather Rose Strickland was last seen on December 5, 2022, leaving HCA Florida Largo Hospital at 201 14th Street Southwest in Largo, Florida,” the bureau said. “Originally from the North Florida region, Strickland spent the last five years in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area.”
“The FBI is asking the public to assist with any information that helps law enforcement piece together the events that led to Strickland’s death,” it added.
The body of Strickland was first found by fishermen operating in the area.
They went for a dive while allegedly spearfishing, according to witnesses. They discovered the garbage bag when they moved on to the next location. Even though they attempted to pick it up, they soon discovered it wasn’t garbage.
They claimed to have discovered skin and what seemed to be a bra strap or bikini after tearing open the plastic and canvas bag that was inside. The witnesses claimed that they sent out the distress signal soon after making the discovery.
“The body was found wrapped in bedding in a plastic trash bag,” the FBI said, noting the discovery happened 13 miles off the coast.
The FBI described Strickland as being around 5 feet 5 inches tall, with “a tattoo on the right side of her neck of ‘B’ and ‘E’ written in Old English Script and a Rose tattoo on the outside of her right thigh.”
The FBI is the lead agency looking into the incident since the body was found in federal waters
