Florida: Curtis Webb charged in 2001 Cold Case murder of Victoria Arena
From Florida, comes news that Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit has closed a 2001 murder case after the unexpected death of the suspect in the investigation: Curtis Webb.
Victoria Arena, 32, was murdered on or about June 11, 2001. Her body was dumped in a wooded area near an orange grove about 100 yards north of Bermont Road in Punta Gorda. A local worker discovered Victoria’s body on June 15, but there was no physical evidence to identify the victim at the time.
Victoria’s throat was slashed, and the cause of death was ruled homicide by the Medical Examiner. During that time, Victoria Arena, 32, was reported missing by her mother and Curtis Webb was quickly identified as a potential suspect due to their previous relationship.
Webb, 34, threatened Arena physically and Victoria has shared with more than one person her fear of Webb and said if anything happened to her he would be responsible. She also expressed fear that Webb would be getting out of jail. She told people she intended to get a restraining order preventing Webb from bothering her.
Webb was released from the Sarasota County Jail on or about June 5, 2001 and Victoria went missing Monday June 11, 2001.
Over the years the case has been reviewed, interviews completed, but no probable cause was ever established against Webb.
Then on January 15, 2018, a few months after being released from prison for home invasion robbery, Webb died from an illness.
Webb has spent fifteen years in a Tennessee jail for the home invasion robbery in 2002.
The Cold Case Team has developed probable cause to charge Webb with first degree murder.
The case is now closed by exceptional clearance because it meets the following conditions:
- The agency identified the offender.
- Enough evidence was gathered to support an arrest, make a charge, and turn over the offender for prosecution.
- The agency can identify the offender’s exact location so the suspect could be taken into custody.
- A situation was encountered outside the control of the agency that would prohibit the agency from arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender.