Nearly 20 years after a Florida man was fatally shot while walking home from Taco Bell, two women have been arrested for his murder, police said.
Leon Heron, 34, was taking dinner to his wife at their Lauderdale Lakes apartment when he was approached by two people intending to rob him May 13, 2007. Heron fought back, and one suspect fatally shot him
, Broward County Sheriff officials said in a press release Oct. 15.The case remained cold until April 2023 when a prison inmate came forward with information. The inmate, Brittany Hanfield, claimed she witnessed Heron’s murder and provided vague details.
“What she told me was ultimately what it ended up being was two 17-year-old young ladies who were out driving around Broward County in a stolen SUV
looking for somebody to rob,” Broward Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Homicide Unit Det. David Towsley said in a press release.
Further investigating found Hanfield participated in the murder along with Sheila Arstil. Both were teenagers at the time of the crime.
“We have the DNA which puts them there. We’ve got their confessions,” Towsley said.
When were suspects arrested in Florida cold case?
Hanfield, 36, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge Nov. 10, 2025. She has pleaded not guilty.
A Broward County Grand Jury indicted Arstil, 37, on a first-degree murder charge Oct. 7. Towsley said Heron’s family was relieved to learn the news.
“His mother was so grateful to get this information, to know finally what happened to her son,” Towsley said. “She loves her son like nobody would believe, and all of these years, it’s been eating at her soul, as to what happened to him. Why was he targeted? Why was he killed? So, I was very happy to bring her that information.”
What the suspects said about Florida cold case
Arstil originally told police she did not know Heron.
She eventually admitted her and Hanfield were looking to rob someone the night they came across Heron, according to an arrest report. Arstil said the small gun she had accidently went off and she was “trying to be gangster,” the police report stated.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida ambush fatal shooting cold case solved after nearly 20 years
