52-year-old arrested in one of two Tamiami Trail homicides

A 52-year-old Sarasota man arrested Friday on a series of trespassing and drug-related offenses was charged Saturday in connection with one of two homicides along Tamiami Trail since late February, police said.

William Devonshire, 52, was charged with murder, dangerous depraved without premeditation, on Saturday and was held without bail, according to records with the Sarasota County Jail. His listed address, in the 1400 block of 10th Street, is about a half-mile from where a 48-year old woman’s body was found near the Centennial Park boat ramp on Feb. 25.

Devonshire was already in custody at the time of his homicide arrest, following his arrest Friday on charges of trespassing, cocaine possession and possession of paraphernalia. A statement from Sarasota Police late Saturday indicated investigators developed probable cause to charge Devonshire in the homicide.

Jail records show he is scheduled for arraingnment April 29.

Police scheduled a news conference for Monday to further discuss the case. Additional charges against Devonshire are pending, the statement from police said.

Sarasota Police this month asked for the public’s help in investigating a pair of homicides along Tamiami Trail. 

In the most recent case, the body of a 59-year-old woman was discovered just before 4 p.m. March 10 near Whitaker Bayou, in the 1900 block of Tamiami Trail.  The case in which Devonshire was charged involved the discovery of a body around 5 p.m. on Feb. 25.

At a March 11 news conference at the police department, interim police chief Rex Troche asked for assistance in furthering the homicide investigations without directly linking the two cases.

"I think everybody should be vigilant within our city,'' he said. "I think we need to look out, not only for yourselves, but you need to look out for your neighbors as well. I think people out there need to know that there isn't information that is too miniscule, too minor.”