Inset: Paul Stottler (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Emma Jean Mullins was found dead on June 25 (Google Maps).
A Florida man has been arrested after authorities say a 76-year-old woman was found dead under disturbing circumstances inside a St. Petersburg hotel room.
Paul Stottler, 39, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and charged Friday with second-degree murder. According to a complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, officers were called to the Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Florida, on June 25 after hotel employees discovered the body of Emma Jean Mullins in a room. Authorities said Mullins had been wrapped in sheets, covered with clothing, and concealed beneath one of the bed’s mattresses.
Investigators said surveillance footage showed Mullins arriving at the hotel with Stottler at about 10:45 p.m. the previous night. Several hours later, around 4:30 a.m., Stottler was allegedly recorded leaving the hotel alone.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that the condition of the room suggested a violent struggle had occurred. Furniture was overturned, and investigators reported finding bloodstains and broken glass in multiple areas of the room.
According to the complaint, Mullins sustained “blunt force trauma to her face and body.” She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said Stottler was also seen leaving with several bags, which he allegedly discarded in a dumpster in the hotel parking lot. When police searched the dumpster, they found “three documents with Mullins’ name concealed in an ice bucket,” along with men’s clothing and bloodied bedding, according to the release.
After police arrested Stottler, he reportedly admitted to dumping evidence when he left the hotel.
Police did not provide information about the relationship between Stottler and Mullins.
Stottler is being held without bond at the Pinellas County Jail. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday.
