Suspect In Murder - Shoots Self - Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Press Conference

News Release 15-146 During the late afternoon hours of June 8, 2015, patrol deputies responded to the above listed location after landscapers working at one of the area residences saw a body floating in the waterway and reported it to the Sheriff’s Office. Seminole Fire Rescue, Patrol deputies and the Sheriff’s Marine Unit responded, retrieved the body and conducted an area check. Detectives assigned to the Robbery/Homicide Unit were summoned to investigate and determined the female had been the victim of murder and subsequently identified her as 36-year-old Charlie Enice Brooks (Madison). Detectives say she sustained blunt force injuries to the head. Through a neighborhood canvass, multiple interviews and various investigative techniques, deputies learned that Brooks (Madison) had as recently as this past Sunday, June 7th traveled to the Pinellas area from Ft. Morgan, Colorado to visit her childhood friend Joseph Pope of Seminole. Early on in the investigation detectives spoke to Pope, who denied Brooks had visited him or that he even knew her. However, detectives say neighbors identified Brooks from a photo and stated they saw her enter Pope’s residence at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 7th. At this point, detectives began to focus their investigation on Pope, set up surveillance and secured a search warrant for his home. During the morning hours of June 9th, prior to serving the search warrant and as they continued their investigation in the area, detectives were alerted as a female, later identified as Pope’s sister, ran from his residence and stated her brother was deceased at the side of the house from an apparent self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head. Detectives say they have located various pieces of evidence in proximity to Pope’s residence to include two trash bags containing a bloody rock (the presumed weapon), sheets, gloves, socks and other miscellaneous clothing. Blood was also located in and around Pope’s residence. Based on the information obtained to this point, detectives believe Pope to be the suspect in Brooks’ death. The Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit is continuing to process the evidence. The Medical Examiner’s Office report is still pending. The investigation continues.