Search for Additional Victims Linked to Serial Killer in Florida
This week, Florida authorities started searching a property in Hernando County, looking for more potential victims connected to convicted serial killer Billy Mansfield. It’s been many years since the remains of four individuals linked to his family were found during investigations.
The search, which kicked off on Monday, involves the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the State Attorney’s Office. They are exploring an area of Dry Creek Ranch after a cadaver dog indicated there might be bodies buried there during a recent inspection.
Investigators are focusing on a wooded section near the ranch as part of their inquiry. This search is part of a prolonged effort by law enforcement to sift through information related to Mansfield, who had family that lived on Centerwood Avenue in Hernando County.
According to Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhaus, Mansfield, along with his brother Gary, was implicated in a murder case in California during the late 1970s. Insights from that case led investigators to secure a search warrant for the property where the four bodies were identified in the early 1980s.
While two victims were recognized quickly, it took longer to identify the third. Recently, authorities have made progress with genetic genealogy, which may help pinpoint the identities of the remaining victims and connect with surviving family members.
Investigators have long believed there could be more victims. Nienhaus noted that Mansfield had previously hinted at more bodies possibly located in Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, but there was no agreement reached on revealing more information in exchange for leniency.
The sheriff’s office renewed its investigation about three years ago, combing through thousands of files and interviewing Mansfield, aided by federal and state resources. Although previous efforts to excavate likely sites didn’t yield any remains, the ongoing review of records has prompted searches in new areas north and west of earlier locations.
On Monday, cadaver dogs worked near Fort Dade Avenue and Citrus Way but didn’t uncover any signs of buried remains. However, the alerts from the dogs led to digging at Dry Creek Ranch.
The sheriff expressed cautious optimism about finding something significant. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the age of the case, making prosecution seem unlikely. Still, he emphasized the commitment to uncovering truth for families who have been in the dark about their loved ones for decades.
As searches continue, Mansfield’s name gained national attention last year when he admitted to the murder of an Ohio teenager, whose case had been cold for many years. In January 2024, he confessed to killing 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett over four decades ago.
Barrett’s body was discovered in a ditch along Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, Florida. She had been abducted from her motel in Daytona Beach the day before her body was found. For years, investigators only had her remains and a composite sketch of a suspect based on what friends described. The case remained open until about 2017, when a renewed investigation began.
After nearly two years of interrogations, Mansfield confessed to Barrett’s kidnapping and murder. At the time, he was just 24 years old. Currently, Mansfield is serving a life sentence in California and four concurrent life sentences in Florida for the murders of five women and girls between 1975 and 1980.
He buried some of his victims under his residence in Spring Hill, located about two and a half hours from where Barrett was taken. Mansfield has been incarcerated since 1982 after he pleaded guilty to a California murder to avoid facing the death penalty in Florida.
The search for more victims and answers continues.
