Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Clay County jury has recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2019 murder of Susan Mauldin. The jury’s recommendation follows the guilty verdict for First-Degree Murder, Burglary, and Tampering with Evidence. The Honorable Steven Whittington will formally sentence the defendant at a later date.
“From the moment Susan Mauldin disappeared, law enforcement and prosecutors worked tirelessly to solve this case. And they did,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson. “Through incredible work by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and prosecutors Pam Hazel, Ashley Terry, and Dan Skinner, we uncovered the truth of her disappearance – that [the defendant] murdered Susan Mauldin and threw her in the trash. Significant resources were dedicated to this investigation and prosecution, and we appreciate the jury’s service and verdict.”
On October 25, 2019, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded to Susan Mauldin’s home in Fleming Island after she had not been seen or heard from in two days. Mauldin’s friend reported her missing and mentioned that during a lunch two days prior, Mauldin had shared a longstanding issue with her contractor. Mauldin had paid the contractor $12,000 months earlier for a bathroom remodel that remained unfinished. On October 23, 2019, Mauldin fired the contractor and demanded her money back, threatening to contact authorities if it wasn’t returned.
When questioned by police, the contractor confirmed the dispute and claimed to have visited Mauldin’s home on October 24, 2019, to give her a check for $1,200. However, further investigation revealed that the defendant had purchased demo bags and quick-drying concrete mix that morning and was seen disposing of 300 pounds of debris at a waste facility later in the day.
Mauldin’s remains were discovered in January 2020 during a massive landfill search. Authorities recovered her skull and body parts in contractor demo bags. The defendant was arrested and charged with her murder.
The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Pam Hazel, Ashley Terry, and Dan Skinner.
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