HOMOSASSA, Fla. — The Citrus County Sheriff announced that an arrest had been made on Thursday in the grisly murder case of a Homosassa man whose skeletal remains were found in a trash can about a year ago.

• Arrest made in 2017 murder case in Citrus County
• Ryan McClellan's skeletal remains found in trash can in Homosassa
• Emery Whitt charged with second degree murder

"This is a terrible time of the year to announce this but it’s an important case," said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "That we want to close and work our way towards final closure for the family.”

Detectives arrested Emery Whitt, 26, on a second degree murder charge. Sheriff Prendergast said Whitt, who's from Virginia, had been roommates with the victim, Ryan McClellan, 33, for only two-to-three weeks, when the murder happened in mid-September of 2017.

Detectives arrested Emery Whitt, 26, on a second degree murder charge. (Citrus County Sheriff's Office)

“Mr. McClellan was the victim of a violent homicide. In which the perpetrator concealed the body in this trash can and subsequently discarded it in the woods like trash,” he said. "Leave him there for the animals or anything else to find as remains. Think about the size of a human being and trying to put that in there and be able to move it."

McClellan's body was found on November 25, more than two months after he was first reported missing, about three miles from his Homosassa home. The remains were skeletal because they had been there for some time. The medical examiner used dental records to identify the victim. 

McClellan's body was found on November 25, more than two months after he was first reported missing. (Citrus County Sheriff's Office)

Sheriff Prendergast said detectives believe a partial motive for the crime was to steal money from McClellan, who worked for Halliburton.

“We uncovered along the way large amounts of withdrawals," he said. "Cash money from his bank account."

The sheriff also said detectives first became interested in Whitt, in late September of 2017, when the suspect was arrested on unrelated charges and was found to have some of the victim's belongings.

“In addition to some personal items of Mr. McClellan’s, that were found on the possession of Mr. Whitt," Pendergast said. "We also found some weapons in possession of Mr. Whitt, that were actually the property of Mr. McClellan.”

Detectives still have some unanswered questions about the case and ask that anyone who has information call the Crimestoppers tip line at 1-888-269-8477 or the Major Crimes Unit at 352-726-1111.