Paula Witthaus, 54, was found murdered on January 28, 2014, at her home at 2840 17th Avenue North in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She and the man she cared for, 67-year-old James Rapp, a blind and bedridden Vietnam veteran, were both beaten to death; their bodies were described as so badly mutilated they were barely recognizable. Witthaus worked as Rapp’s caregiver and both were considered vulnerable because of health problems.

Friends and acquaintances remembered Witthaus as generous and community-minded, noting she had turned her life around after arrests in the 1990s and later became active in healthcare advocacy, opened a food pantry, and pushed for health benefits. The double homicide deeply affected the neighborhood and investigators continue to seek tips from anyone with information about that night.

Does anyone who knew Paula or James, or who lived near 17th Avenue North in January 2014, have information that could help the investigation?