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Prison tip leads to murder charges in 2007 Lauderdale Lakes killing
Two women have been charged in the fatal shooting of Leon Heron during a robbery in Lauderdale Lakes in May 2007. A tip from prison helped detectives reopen the case, authorities said.
Two women have been charged in the 2007 killing of Leon Heron, who was shot during a robbery in a Lauderdale Lakes apartment complex parking lot, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.
Heron, 34, had just gotten out of his car in May 2007 when two people confronted him and demanded his belongings, according to BSO Cold Case Detective David Towsley. Investigators say the assailants were 17-year-old girls driving a stolen SUV around Broward County and looking for someone to rob.
Heron fought back, Towsley said, and one of the assailants shot him.
A tip from prison led detectives to Brittany Hanfield, who initially described herself as a witness, Towsley said. She later provided investigators with details about the robbery. Hanfield was charged with first-degree murder. Sheila Arstil was charged with murder last week, according to authorities.
Both women are being held without bond at the Broward County Jail. The charges are allegations; the case has not been resolved in court.
Towsley said Heron's relatives were relieved to learn what happened. He said the family was “extremely happy to know finally what happened to him and that he can rest in peace.”