What happened in Southeast Soneto Court killing in St. Lucie County?

Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Questions remain more than 10 days after what St. Lucie County sheriff’s officials said was a homicide in a residential neighborhood.

Sheriff’s deputies about 9:40 a.m. Dec. 23 went to a home in the 180 block of Southeast Soneto Court after a roommate returned home and found a 32-year-old man dead.

“During the initial investigation, detectives determined that this suspicious death is a homicide,” the agency stated.

Attempts to get more information from the sheriff’s office since then have been unsuccessful. Messages left with Sheriff Keith Pearson have not been returned.

Stephanie Wills, records custodian for Pearson, said late Tuesday via email an initial report is “not approved” and can’t be released.

The name of the deceased has not been released, nor has information regarding whether an arrest has been made.

St. Lucie County Sheriff's officials Dec. 23, 2023, went to a home in the 180 block of Southeast Soneto Court after a roommate came home and found a 32-year-old man dead. Investigators determined the death was a homicide. The home shown here Jan. 2, 2024.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's officials Dec. 23, 2023, went to a home in the 180 block of Southeast Soneto Court after a roommate came home and found a 32-year-old man dead. Investigators determined the death was a homicide. The home shown here Jan. 2, 2024.

Knocks to the door of the single-story home where neighbors said the incident occurred were not answered Tuesday and Wednesday. The home is east of Southeast Airoso Boulevard and south of Southwest Prima Vista Boulevard.

Neighbor Sam Dorlouis, 24, said he saw crime scene and law enforcement vehicles at the home for more than 12 hours.

Dorlouis, and another neighbor, Hector Perez, 24, said residents in the neighborhood are a mix of younger individuals and retirees.

"I barely knew those people," Perez said of the home where the deceased was found. "They never stopped, they never said, 'Hi.'"

The property is in a trust owned by Ben Henschel, according to the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser’s office.

Pearson on social media asked for the public’s help in identifying those who may have seen or heard anything between 11 p.m. Dec. 22 through 9 a.m. Dec. 23.

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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Homicide on SE Soneto Court under investigation; few details released