Victim (Jazmin Mayes) (age 24) is only child of Yvonne Howington, aged 46, of 1372 Hibiscus Way South, St. Petersburg. Father not in picture. No adult criminal record, although mother states daughter got in trouble for fighting in school. Juvenile records not available. However, Ms. Howington volunteered her daughter had two misdemeanor shoplifting arrests, and during second arrest was found to be in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Victim was transferred to diversionary high school (Bayside High) but dropped out at age 17 after becoming pregnant. Following birth of daughter, victim re-enrolled in school and earned GED.

Mother states father of victim’s child was killed in motorcycle accident shortly after birth of the child. She also says daughter quit using any drugs during pregnancy and was taking business classes at University of South Florida. USF registrar’s office confirms.

Subject hired as housekeeper at Gulf Vista Hotel and Resort on 1-12-16. Hotel personnel records produced in discovery indicate Ms. Mayes worked 2–11 p.m. shift, generally Tuesday–Saturday, but occasionally picked up additional shifts. Hotel requires mandatory drug testing and personnel records indicate there were no positive drug tests during her employment.

Mother states victim and victim’s child (Aliyah, 6) lived with her. Mother has no knowledge of whether daughter had boyfriends, but states daughter sometimes “stayed out partying” all night with friends on nights off. Does not know friends’ names, other than Neesa.

On night of 9-15-16, victim clocked in at Gulf Vista Hotel and Resort at 2:45 p.m., nearly an hour late for her shift. Supervisor H. K. Byars stated subject claimed her car broke down on way to work, which was why she was late. Byars also claims victim requested to be allowed to work additional shift, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., which he agreed to because another housekeeper had called in sick.

However, Ms. Howington insists that her daughter would not have asked to work until 7 a.m., because she was due home to take over child care responsibilities so that Ms. Howington could leave for her own job as nurse’s aide at Palms of Pasadena hospital.

Ms. Howington states that the last communication she had from her daughter came at 2:15 p.m. 9-15-16, when daughter called to say her car had overheated and she was forced to take cab to get to work. The vehicle, a 2001 Kia, was subsequently towed to Bayside Towing. According to police inventory, nothing of interest recovered from vehicle.

At 7:30 a.m., 9-16-16, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Investigators S. C. Shumate and R. D. Hernandez arrived at Ms. Howington’s home to notify her of daughter’s death.

She turned the page and found herself staring down at a copy of the coroner’s report and skimmed it quickly, trying to push aside the grisly details, phrases like “ligature strangulation” and “cuts and contusions to face and upper torso consistent with defensive wounds.”