The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office continues to ask for the public’s assistance in helping solve the case regarding two women who disappeared late last year.
The Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, has been actively investigating the missing person case involving Plant City resident Doris Carter and pursuing the homicide investigation of Bradenton resident Kelly Moriarty.
According to Carter’s live-in daughter, she last saw her mother and Moriarty at Carter’s Plant City home on the evening of Dec. 16, 2011. She said when she awoke the morning of Dec. 17, both women were gone, and so was Moriarty’s car. Both women have been romantically involved for the past two years.
Three days later, on Dec. 20, 2011, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted Moriarty’s car abandoned on the side of S.R. 62 in Parrish and placed a red tag in the window for the owner to move the car.
On Dec 27, 2011, a severed leg washed ashore behind at 6990 Fourth St. S., in St. Petersburg. It later was identified as Moriarty’s leg.
Bradenton Police Department officers responded to Carter’s Plant City home Jan. 28, and spoke with her daughter. She told police she had not seen her mother since she left with Moriarty on Dec. 16 or 17.
The next day, Carter’s daughter reported Carter missing to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
To date, investigative initiatives have required inter-agency cooperation for the exploration of underwater recoveries, out-of-state leads and interviews, and vast forensic evidence collection and processing.
Detectives have not determined where the initial crime scene of where the leg was severed. Detectives are looking for anyone who may have any information related to the disappearance of these two women.
Anyone with any information reference the suspects is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 247-8200 or anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of these suspects and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at crimestopperstb.com or text “CSTB plus your tip” to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).