ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A security guard arrested in the homicide of a woman found dead in her downtown Orlando apartment was extradited on Tuesday to Orange County after being arrested in Volusia last week.
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Stephen Michael Duxbury, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder, sexual battery and burglary in the Oct. 17 homicide of Sasha Samsudean, 27. Duxbury was a security guard at Samsudean's apartment complex, Uptown Place on North Orange Avenue, according to Orlando police.
Samsudean was out with friends on a Friday night and arrived safely at home, police said. When friends could not reach her the next day, they reported her missing. Police said they went to Samsudean's apartment and found her body in her bed with no signs of forced entry.
According to the report, Duxbury sexually battered and strangled Samsudean before rolling her body up in her comforter with bleach poured on it to hide DNA evidence.
"As a security guard he used his access to prey on someone who is very vulnerable," said Orlando Police Chief John Mina.
Duxbury was tied to the case by physical evidence, including shoe prints and a fingerprint on Samsudean's toilet seat, according to police. After being interviewed by police, officers said Duxbury's story didn't add up and that he had scrapes and bite marks on his arm.
Duxbury was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Friday at his Port Orange home and booked into Volusia County jail. He had his first appearance in Volusia County and was denied bail by the judge before being extradited to Orange County Jail.
Duxbury's employer, Vital Security and Investigations, said he is currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of the police investigation.
According to the company, Duxbury was a former member of the armed services with an honorable discharge and was fully licensed in Florida to be a security guard.
Officials said Duxbury passed all background checks and had no criminal background.
OPD said in a release that, "this case was a crime of opportunity, by a man working in what should have been the protective service of the residents of Uptown Place Apartments. Instead, he used his access to prey on a vulnerable person."
"I can let them know that they can rest at ease now. I can't imagine the last two weeks have been -- knowing what happened somebody was murdered in their complex," said Sgt. Dan Brady.
Mina said that crime rates are down in downtown Orlando.
"This crime could've happened in any apartment complex in any city in the United States," Mina said.
Check back for more on this developing story.