Colin Knapp Florida man arrested in murder of Kathlyn Moore as the missing woman’s body is found near her boyfriend’s home a day after his arrest.
A Florida man has been arrested and charged with suspicion of murder of his girlfriend. The man’s arrest came a day before the woman’s body was found near the boyfriend’s home after she had been missing for a week.
Colin Knapp, 30, booked with second-degree murder for the death of her 34-year-old on-and-off girlfriend Kathlyn Moore in Pasco County, near Tampa.
Moore’s body was found in a remote wooded area Tuesday. Cops previously announced her death after finding her clothes with a huge quantity of the victim’s blood splashed on them.
Knapp appeared in court on Tuesday before Moore’s remains were found in a wooded area near Carmel Drive, 50 yards away from Knapp’s New Port Richey home. The missing woman’s remains were positively identified late Tuesday evening.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office arrested the boyfriend on Monday after determining blood found on Knapp’s clothes and in a dumpster at his place of work was enough to charge him with Moore’s death.
Boyfriend had been uncooperative with investigators
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco confirmed the news of Moore’s death during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
‘I can say she is deceased today. We positively identified her body based on tattoos. The call came in around 11:30 this morning that she was discovered in the woods,’ he said.
‘You can tell she was definitely covered on purpose to make sure nobody would come upon her,’ he added.
The cause and manner of death was not revealed nor was a motive divulged.
Nocco said Moore had been found in a makeshift grave in a remote wooded area, which had previously been combed by search dogs who missed her remains.
Authorities said Knapp has been uncooperative with the investigation. He and Moore were last seen together on November 28 arguing in bars in Largo and Indian Rocks Beach before returning to Knapp’s New Port Richey home, police said.
Moore’s mother, Karyn, told WFLA News that she had only seen Knapp on Facetime calls but did not know him that well.
‘I had that gut feeling’
Moore worked as a server at a bar and was taking phlebotomy classes, hoping to one day become a nurse, her mother told WFLA. She was also a mother-of-one, and although her daughter was being raised by another family, she was an active part of the child’s life.
‘I’m really going to miss her very, very much. I love her with all my heart. I truly believe that we all in life have to take a journey and I just wish that Kathleen’s journey didn’t stop where it did,’ Karyn told the outlet.
‘I had that gut feeling. It’s like a mother’s instinct. You just know when you can’t sense your child’s spirit,’ she added.
The couple had been in an on-and-off relationship for years, but did not live together. Knapp had met several of Moore’s closest friends for the first time on Thanksgiving.
Friends of Moore said she was last seen waiting for a cab outside of Knapp’s house, but police concluded there was no evidence that she ever left the home.
According to police reports, Knapp went to his job at Harold Seltzer’s Steakhouse to dispose of items with Moore’s blood.
Beyond blood leading investigators to boyfriend
Deputies recovered 14 industrial-sized dumpsters in the landfill and found clothing with Moore’s blood and her cellphone inside.
The quantity of blood found on the clothing was what determined Moore had been killed before her body was found, detectives had earlier revealed.
‘Yes, there was blood that was identified as hers on our suspect’s pants, however, there is lots of blood that was located during this investigation,’ Nocco said.
Nocco said Knapp was ‘very cold,’ and had not cooperated with investigators who pledged with him to reveal the location of the body before it was found.
Moore’s body was located thanks to the help of residents of Pasco County, Nocco said on Tuesday.
Police had previously tracked the wooded area with K-9 units and drones, but due to wind, weather, decomposition, had not been able to find the body, police said.
‘We pray for her family because they are going through so much right now, but with that, we will bring her justice, we will bring her family justice. That is important,’ Nocco said during Tuesday’s press conference after Moore’s body was found.
Deputy Michael Rosa hinted that police have evidence beyond the bloodied clothes that links Knapp to the murder.
‘We can tell you that it was more than just the blood on the defendant’s pants that led us to the arrest. However, a lot of information we cannot reveal at this time,’ Rosa said.
Knapp has a long criminal history, with ten felonies and nine misdemeanors. Since 2004, he has been arrested for battery, possession of marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine as well as resisting arrest.
Knapp remains held at Pasco County Detention Center without bond.
Police are asking anybody with information about Moore’s death to call 727-847-8102.
