3 people found shot to death in rural Collier County

OCHOPEE, Fla. — Three people were found shot to death in a car near a vacant lot at 54225 U.S. 41 in rural Collier County near the Miami-Dade county line, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said.

The body of one woman was sitting in the driver’s seat covered in blood and two male bodies were in the backseat of the dark gray Chevrolet, said James Brunson, who lives nearby. Brunson said he knocked on the window of the car at about noon, spotted the bodies, and notified authorities.

Brunson originally saw the car pulled over on the side of the road at 9:30 a.m. but didn’t act because it’s a fairly common sight in the area, he said.

“Yeah, I thought it might have been broke down,” Brunson said. “And when I drove and left for a little while, I seen that there was somebody in there. I thought they were sleeping. And when I came back and I decided to knock on the window, there was no response. I knew it was bad. I could see it wasn’t good.”

Only one lane of traffic is open on the two-lane highway. Several police vehicles surrounded the scene Thursday afternoon while a park ranger’s helicopter hovered overhead. Investigators set up a tent over the car.