A Florida man is facing a second-degree murder charge after police say he killed a 76-year-old woman in a hotel room and concealed her body, leaving it for staff to discover days later.
Paul Stottler, 39, was taken into custody and is being held without bond at the Pinellas County Jail. Police responded to a Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg on June 25 after hotel employees found the body of Emma Jean Mullins wrapped in sheets, covered with clothing, and hidden beneath a mattress in one of the rooms.
Investigators say surveillance footage shows Mullins entering the hotel with Stottler around 10:45 p.m. the night before her body was found. Stottler was seen leaving alone roughly six hours later, around 4:30 a.m.
According to authorities, evidence inside the room pointed to a violent struggle. Furniture had been overturned, and officers found bloodstains and broken glass scattered throughout the space. Mullins suffered blunt force trauma to her face and body and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance video reportedly captured Stottler carrying several bags out of the hotel before disposing of them in a dumpster in the parking lot. When police searched the dumpster, they recovered documents bearing Mullins’ name, men’s clothing, and bedding stained with blood.
After his arrest, Stottler admitted to discarding the items, according to police.
Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the relationship between Stottler and Mullins, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Stottler is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to face the murder charge.
