Katrina Burlingame

Katrina Burlingame was a big-hearted and funny person who could light up a room and make anyone laugh, even on their worst day. Her sister, Nichole, remembered her as someone who was always good at taking people's minds off their troubles. A 32-year-old white woman and a mother, Katrina’s life was brutally cut short, leaving a void in the lives of her children and family who continue to seek justice for her.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 24, 2018, Katrina was last seen alive at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the Tampa, Florida, area. Surveillance video from the store captured her in an argument with another person. The two were seen leaving the store together, and after that moment, Katrina vanished. Her family’s worst fears were realized more than a day later, on Thursday, October 25, 2018. A prospective renter was being shown a home at 7620 32nd Avenue South in St. Petersburg when they made a devastating discovery in the backyard: Katrina’s body.

The investigation into her homicide was launched by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). Detectives have worked the case for years, but the identity of the person seen arguing with Katrina on the surveillance footage has not been publicly released, and no arrests have been made. The case has grown cold, but it has not been forgotten by law enforcement. In September 2020, the HCSO featured Katrina’s story on its cold case podcast series, "Unfinished Business," in an effort to generate new leads and bring fresh attention to the brutal crime.

In the podcast interview, Katrina’s sister, Nichole Burlingame, made a heartfelt plea for anyone with information to come forward. "Just to not be afraid to speak," she said, "and just knowing that if we could have justice for her that would be the kind of closure that we need. Not only for myself, but for our family and for the children, for her kids, just knowing that justice was served for her and that somebody is paying for what they did to her."

Nichole described the person responsible as a "monster," saying the act was "unthinkable." Her words paint a picture of a family shattered by violence and left with unanswered questions. "It would be huge just to be able to know that somebody is serving time and getting what they deserve for what they did and not just out free, or walking around, and could do it to somebody else," she added. The family holds onto the belief that Katrina is watching over them. "We know that she’s watching down, and that her spirit is living on through her kids, and that I’m sure she would be grateful up there knowing that somebody is paying for what they did to her, and she didn’t deserve this."

As of January 2022, the murder of Katrina Burlingame remains an active and unsolved cold case investigation. Her name is listed on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's registry of unsolved homicides. Detectives and her family believe that someone in the community holds the key to resolving the case. They hope that person will finally break their silence so that the individual or individuals responsible are held accountable and can no longer pose a threat to society.

Anyone with information regarding the murder of Katrina Burlingame is urged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.