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Carrollwood Man's Death Called Homicide

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 5, 2008

TAMPA - Authorities confirmed on Monday that Timothy "Chip" Chipley, whose body was found floating in a Carrollwood pond, is a homicide victim.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is working with medical examiners on the cause of death, according to a statement from the sheriff's office released Monday.

When told of the news Monday, Matthew Sheer, a friend of Chipley, said he wasn't shocked the death is considered a homicide.

"He was a great guy. That sums it up, pretty much," Sheer said. "And he didn't deserve to die at all."

The sheriff's office revealed Saturday that a body recovered 24 hours earlier had been identified as Chipley, 34.

Details on the investigation were unavailable Monday.

"There are several leads that we're following up on but nothing that we're coming out with publicly yet," sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

The pond at the Countrywood Apartments is less than a mile from the pub where Chipley was last seen. Chipley lived at 10225 N. Oakleaf Ave., also in Carrollwood. The apartment complex has notified residents that Chipley's body was found on the property.

The memo states it's unknown whether the slaying occurred on the property. It also asks residents to report anything suspicious to authorities.

Sheer and others are at a loss to understand how the martial arts enthusiast ended up dead after riding to O'Brien's Irish Pub on Jan. 26 with friends and opting to remain behind when they left.
Chipley studied martial arts and had trained for his "trip of a lifetime" to Thailand for further study, friends said. He obtained a passport and airline ticket months earlier and packed a week in advance for the flight that left without him Wednesday morning.
Chipley was a regular at the pub. Bar patrons and friends had not seen nor heard from him since about 3 a.m. Jan. 27, when he paid his tab and walked out the door.

Information from Tribune archives was used in this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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