Colleen Potts, a 73-year-old woman known locally as a pet sitter, was found dead on October 24, 2021, in a home on South 13th Street in Fernandina Beach, Florida. She was discovered lying face down on a living room couch while house-sitting; a neighbor had called for a wellbeing check after noticing the front door open and dogs running loose. Officers found the garage door and an inner door open and located Potts inside.

Investigators determined Potts had been shot and treated the case as a homicide, describing it as an isolated incident and advising residents to secure doors and use exterior lighting and cameras. In December 2021, authorities arrested 47-year-old Shawn Lamont Whigham, a man who had previously done handyman work at the residence, on an initial weapons charge; police said forensic evidence and inconsistencies in his timeline focused the investigation on him.

If anyone knew Colleen, saw activity around South 13th Street on or before October 24, 2021, or has information about Whigham’s presence at the property, please share what is known.