Florida

Police Link 2 Cold Case Homicides in Lakeland to Tampa Man

Police in central Florida say they have linked two cold case homicides to a 22-year-old Tampa man.

The Ledger reports that a grand jury has issued two indictments charging Benjamin Davis Smiley Jr. in both crimes.

According to court documents, Smiley killed 46-year-old Carmen Riley on March 23, 2013, in Lakeland. Less than a month later, authorities say Smiley then killed Clifford Drake at his Lakeland home.

Detectives have said they believed the two slayings were connected.

Smiley is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for an armed robbery in Hillsborough County. The Ledger reports that the new indictments charge him with two counts of first-degree murder, along with charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence.

Jail records did not show whether Smiley had an attorney.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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