1 found dead on side of Marion County road after woman discovered injured nearby

Investigation ongoing near Ocklawaha

1 found dead on side of Marion County road after woman discovered injured nearby (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Friday warned people to avoid areas near Ocklawaha where a woman was found hurt Thursday and a different person was found dead the next morning, both individuals located on the side of the road less than a mile apart.

According to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to the injured woman around 10:50 p.m. Thursday in the area of the Forest Lakes Park neighborhood on SE 183rd Avenue Road. The post stated the woman was lying on the side of the road when she was found, later taken to a hospital.

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Around 7:50 a.m. Friday, deputies responding to a report of another person lying on the side of the road — this time in the area of SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court — discovered they were dead, the post states. The sheriff’s office’s Major Crimes Unit began an investigation at this time.

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Deputies asked that the areas be avoided.

News 6 asked the sheriff’s office if the investigation is related to a missing 26-year-old woman, who was last seen on March 2 leaving a gas station with two males.

“We have no reason to believe that either of the people in this investigation is Sara Ebersole. As far as them being related, our Major Crimes detectives are continuing to investigate and follow up on any possible leads. It is too early in the investigation to draw that conclusion,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Anyone with knowledge that may be of interest to investigators is urged to call Marion County detectives at 352-368-3542, or Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867), referencing 23-22.


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About the Author:

Brandon, a UCF grad, joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021. Before joining News 6, Brandon worked at WDBO.

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