Florida Man Charged with Murder After 76-Year-Old Found Hidden in Hotel Room

Paul Stottler, 39, faces second-degree murder charges after Emma Jean Mullins was found beaten to death and concealed under a mattress at a St. Petersburg hotel.

Florida Man Charged After 76-Year-Old Found Dead and Concealed at Holiday Inn Express

A 39-year-old Florida man has been charged with second-degree murder following the discovery of a woman's body hidden beneath a mattress at a St. Petersburg hotel, Law & Crime reports.

Paul Stottler was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Friday after police responded to the Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg on June 25. Hotel staff had found the body of 76-year-old Emma Jean Mullins inside one of the rooms. Mullins had been wrapped in sheets, covered with clothing, and concealed beneath a mattress.

Surveillance footage captured Mullins and Stottler entering the hotel together around 10:45 p.m. the previous night. Stottler was recorded leaving the property alone at approximately 4:30 a.m.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the condition of the room pointed to a violent struggle. Furniture had been overturned, and bloodstains along with broken glass were found at multiple locations. According to the criminal complaint, Mullins sustained blunt force trauma to her face and body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stottler did not leave empty-handed. Surveillance cameras showed him carrying several bags out of the hotel before disposing of them in a dumpster in the parking lot. A subsequent search of that dumpster recovered three documents bearing Mullins' name, which had been concealed inside an ice bucket, along with men's clothing and bloodied bedding.

Following his arrest, Stottler reportedly acknowledged dumping the evidence before leaving the hotel. Investigators have not disclosed the nature of the relationship between Stottler and Mullins.

Stottler remains held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Source: Law & Crime