WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A 35-year-old triple murder suspect was captured and taken into custody Tuesday morning in Polk County after a lengthy standoff with deputies.
Stanley Eric Mossburg, also known as "Woo Woo," was arrested early Tuesday after going on a murderous crime spree across several states.
- Suspect in 3 murders taken into custody in Winter Haven
- Stanley Eric Mossburg, also known as "Woo Woo" suspected in 2 Polk Co. murders, 1 Tennessee murder
- Mossburg taken into custody after overnight search
Mossburg is accused of killing a man and woman in Winter Haven. He also faces a murder, kidnapping, and robbery charges in Greene County, Tennessee, along with a number of stolen vehicle charges.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the victims' manner of death was among the most violent investigators have seen.
"He knows how to kill people quick," Judd said during a Tuesday news conference. "He has slashed and murdered both of these victims. He slashed and murdered the victim in Tennessee...with knives."
The crime spree first began when Mossburg randomly targeted a man in a laundromat in Tennessee, killed him, and stole his car. From there he traveled to Spartanburg, South Carolina, Atlanta, Orlando, Seffner, and finally to Winter Haven where he killed two more people.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, around 6 p.m. Monday, a Winter Haven man had reported that an unknown suspect killed his two roommates and held him captive for approximately 14 hours.
The victim told deputies that when he got home from work around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, he found the suspect inside his home that he shares with a man and woman.
The victim's female roommate was tied up and still alive at the time, and she told the victim to cooperate with the suspect so he would not get hurt.
Mossburg had already murdered the victim's male roommate and told him the body was in the master bedroom.
The third victim was tied up in the office, according to the report.
Mossburg stayed in the home all night and filled up bags and suitcases of all three victims' items, authorities said. During the night, Mossburg killed the female victim and told the remaining victim about it.
Between noon and 1 p.m. on Monday, Mossburg told the victim he was leaving but would be back "to deal with the bodies," and warned the victim not to call the cops or he would kill him. Mossburg then fled the scene in the female victim's 2013 black Hyundai Tucson.
The victim was able to escape around 6 p.m. and ran to a neighbor's house and called 911.
Deputies had set up a perimeter in the area and after a few hours they located Mossburg in a home on Avenue C NE near 16th Street NE that belonged to an acquaintance of Mossburg's.
Lisa Wolf who owns the home said Mossburg was a friend of a friend. She said she didn't know he was a suspect in three murders.
"I feel bad for the people that were living in the neighborhood that got killed. I kind of feel responsible, a little bit," she said.
The standoff continued through the night until early Tuesday morning when the Polk County SWAT Team finally entered the home and captured Mossburg.
According to authorities, Mossburg also claimed to have killed eight people because he wanted to be a serial killer. Deputies are now investigating those claims.
He will have a first appearance hearing at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.