SARASOTA, Fla. — A 52-year-old man who was recently charged with the murder of a woman found dead on the North Tamiami Trail in February and suspected of the murder of another woman in March died over the weekend, according to the Sarasota Police Department.
William Devonshire, per Sarasota PD, died at the Sarasota County Jail while "under hospice care with a DNR order."
"The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is confident he died from a medical-related illness but the official cause of death will come from the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office," Sarasota PD said in a press release.
Devonshire was the suspect in two homicides. He was arrested and charged in March for the murder of Kelliann Ripley, 48, after her body was found on the North Tamiami Trail in February. Less than two weeks after the murder, on March 10, the body of another woman was also found in the same area. Devonshire was called a "strong suspect" by police in the second homicide.
Following Devonshire's death, Captain Johnathan Todd of the Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division said, “We have indisputable evidence that links Devonshire to both of the homicides that occurred in February and March of this year. After analyzing the evidence in both homicides, we have determined that William Devonshire committed both crimes. Our detectives were in the process of writing a probable cause affidavit charging Devonshire with the murder of the second female victim in March of this year when we learned of his death.”
Due to the death of Devonshire, the Sarasota Police Department said it will now close both homicide cases.
