What happened to Heather Rose Strickland? Florida woman found in trash bag identified by officials

Law enforcement officials found a trash bag off the Gulf Coast of Florida on December 10, 2022, at 12.40 pm local time. The body found stuffed in the bag was identified as that of 34-year-old Heather Rose Strickland.

FBI’s Tampa Field Office stated that they found a trash bag with Heather’s body in it at the mouth of Tampa Bay. According to police, Strickland was last seen on December 5, near a hospital on 14th Street Southwest.

The case was undertaken by the FBI after the body was discovered in federal waters. Officials have mentioned that more details regarding the case will be disclosed after further investigation.

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Heather Rose Strickland had mental health problems and issues with drug usage

A group of fishermen reportedly discovered Heather’s body in the area. As reported by the New York Post, several witnesses said that while they were spearfishing and diving, they noticed a trash bag in the water. After cutting the bag, they soon realized that it was not mere trash.

People reportedly noticed skin and a bra strap or bikini. That was when they made a distress call to report the body. The FBI spoke about the case of Heather Rose Strickland (aka Cherry Rose Strickland) and stated:

“The body was found wrapped in bedding in a plastic trash bag.”

They said that the area where the bag was found was about 13 miles off the coast. FBI officials further described Heather Rose Strickland's bikini-clad body as being:

“Around 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a tattoo on the right side of her neck of ‘B’ and ‘E’ written in Old English Script and a Rose tattoo on the outside of her right thigh.”

Law enforcement officials added:

“Originally from the North Florida region, Strickland spent the last five years in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area. The FBI is asking the public to assist with any information that helps law enforcement piece together the events that led to Strickland’s death.”

Reports suggest that she was not reported missing. However, she supposedly was not in contact with her family and other loved ones.

According to Strickland's family, she was dealing with mental health problems and issues with drug usage. Law enforcement officials have not disclosed the cause of death and are awaiting toxicology reports. Toxicology tests are usually done when officials cannot find obvious signs of trauma leading to death.

Authorities have also considered overdose to be a possible cause of death. Even if that is the case, it is highly likely that someone had squeezed her body in the trash bag and disposed it off in the Tampa Bay area.

It has not been confirmed if Heather Rose Strickland was murdered, but the notion has not been ruled out either.

As reported by WFLA News, the FBI has described Heather’s death to be “suspicious” in nature.

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Strickland was a mother and often posted photos of her children on Facebook

The investigation discovered that the last post uploaded by Heather Rose Strickland was in February. The 34-year-old was also a mother and was seen posting several photos of her children on Facebook over the years.

Strickland’s body was recovered by the St. Petersburg Police Dept. and the Coast Guard. Since officials could not initially identify the body, she was referred to as Jane Doe. Captain Dylan Hubbard and his crew heard the distress call while they were at a nearby marina. Hubbard recalled the incident and what the Captain of the vessel (from where the distress call came) told him afterward.

According to the Mirror, Hubbard said:

“He said, ‘You see that plastic trash bag in front of our boat? That’s a dead body.’ They’re on a small boat, it’s up close and personal, you don’t forget that picture.”

He believes this is a tragic incident, but it will give closure to Heather Rose Strickland's family.

The FBI has asked the public to provide any tips or information that may lead them to a suspect or help them unearth more information regarding Strickland’s death. FBI officials are trying to find any evidence that may lead them to the root of the case and find out how Strickland ended up in a trash bag off the Tampa Bay.