TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

St. Pete Man Faces Charges In Shooting

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 1, 2008

A St. Petersburg man was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend on Friday, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Troy Sierra, 39, who spoke with officers after his arrest Saturday on unrelated charges, faces charges in the death of Kelly D. Burgess, 27.

Sierra was arrested Saturday and is in an Orange County jail on unrelated charges of cocaine possession and possession of an open alcoholic beverage in a car, Sgt. Michael Kovacsev said.

Sierra likely soon will be extradited to St. Petersburg, he said.
Burgess was found dead Saturday night at 540 Carillon Parkway N., Building 9, Apt. 3087. A 9 mm handgun was used to shoot her twice in the head, Kovacsev said. A third shot hit the floor.
Burgess was breaking up with Sierra in St. Petersburg and moving in with a new boyfriend in the Clearwater area, Kovacsev said. She had parked outside the St. Petersburg apartment Friday and she was shot about 11 a.m. She was parked improperly, as though she was going to be there briefly while moving things, authorities said.

Police went 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, Sierra's co-worker went to the apartment to see whether he was home. Sierra, 39, was supposed to work Saturday but did not show up, Kovacsev said. Nobody answered the door for the co-worker, Kovacsev said.

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 apartment to check on her welfare, police said in a statement. That's when they found her body.

One person saw Sierra leave the apartment after the shooting Friday, Kovacsev said.

Police found Sierra's 2001 blue Honda Civic in the Clearwater area late Sunday night. The handgun has not been recovered, but the Civic has not been thoroughly examined, Kovacsev said.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib

.com or (813) 259-7691.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT