Homicide reported at downtown St. Petersburg’s Parkshore Plaza condos
St. Petersburg police are investigating the death of a 70-year-old woman in a downtown condo as a homicide, according to an agency news release.
Police began investigating at the Parkshore Plaza condominiums, 300 Beach Drive NE, about 1 p.m. Thursday. In a news release Thursday night, the department identified the woman as Deborah Ann Haugh.
St. Petersburg police spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez said Haugh’s friends became concerned when she didn’t show up to a lunch date, so they went to check on her.
The door was locked, so they got help from a maintenance worker and discovered her body, Fernandez said. Haugh had suffered “violent trauma,” but Fernandez did not elaborate on that.
Police said it was too early to tell how long the body had been there.
Thursday night, police said that Haugh’s boyfriend, Tracy Lee Lukanic, is suspected of killing her. According to the release, the 57-year-old man killed himself Thursday morning by jumping from the top floor of the Sundial parking garage, 117 2nd St. N.
The condos at Parkshore Plaza are known for hosting some of St. Petersburg’s wealthiest residents, often selling for more than $1 million. Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and his ex-wife used to live at the condominium and listed their condo for $1.5 million in 2017.
Joan Pitts, 76, has lived in the building for 10 years and said many elderly residents live in the condominiums. She found out about the death through an email from property management, but she said she still feels generally safe overall.
”We have 24-hour concierge,” Pitts said. “We actually have an individual on our desk, plus we have a lot of cameras.”
This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.
