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St. Pete Woman Shot, Killed

WFLA photo

Police were investigating a suspicious vehicle at the apartment complex when they found the body of Kelly Burgess.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2007

A St. Petersburg woman found shot to death in her apartment Saturday night was moving out when she was killed Friday, St. Petersburg police say.

Kelly D. Burgess, 27, was found dead at 540 Carillon Parkway North, Building 9, Apartment 3087. She had been shot multiple times, Sgt. Michael Kovacsev said.

   Kelly D. Burgess

Burgess was in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend and moving to another home in the Clearwater area, Kovacsev said. She had parked temporarily outside the apartment Friday when she was shot about 11 a.m. She was parked improperly, as if she was only going to be there briefly while moving things.

Police responded to the complex Friday morning after receiving a report of multiple shots fired in the area, Kovacsev said. Officers didn't discover Burgess' body then.

On Saturday, a coworker of Burgess' boyfriend went to the apartment to find out if he was home. The boyfriend, 39-year-old Troy Sierra, was supposed to work Saturday but did not show up, Kovacsev said. Nobody answered the door when the coworker came over.

   Troy Sierra

A call about a suspicious vehicle at the complex ultimately led police back to the scene. They traced the vehicle to Burgess and entered her home to check on her welfare, a police release says. That's when they found her body.

Officers are speaking with Sierra. He was arrested Saturday and is in an Orange County jail on unrelated charges of cocaine possession and possession of an open container, Kovacsev said.

"He's not being overly cooperative at this point," Kovacsev said.

Police found Sierra's 2001 blue Honda Civic in the Clearwater area late Sunday night. They have not revealed why the car is important to the case.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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