Judge denies bond for man accused in slaying of Orlando woman

ORLANDO, Fla. — Stephen Duxbury will remain in jail, charged with first-degree murder in the death of an Orlando woman.

A Volusia County judge denied Duxbury, 33, bond Saturday saying there was probable cause to hold him on murder and sexual battery charges.

Duxbury was arrested Friday and charged in the death of Sasha Samsudean, 27, whose body was found Oct. 17 inside her downtown Orlando apartment.

Detectives with the Orlando Police Department arrested Duxbury, an apartment security guard, on charges of first-degree murder, sexual battery and burglary to an occupied dwelling.

Samsudean was found strangled in her Uptown Place apartment on North Orange Avenue, police said. Authorities said a surveillance image was captured of Samsudean from a camera in the parking garage earlier that day.

Police said early in the investigation Duxbury told them a story about two women being outside the Marks Street entrance to the building when Samsudean arrived on the night she was killed. They said he also said he later saw her with a man and offered a vague description.

Raw: Stephen Duxbury initial appearance

Raw: Police press conference on slaying arrest

According to detectives, when they looked at surveillance video from the apartment building they knew Duxbury wasn't being truthful.

Duxbury told investigators that he walked Samsudean to her car in the parking garage to look for her key, because she had forgotten the code to her apartment's digital lock, investigators said.

According to investigators, surveillance video showed Samsudean and Duxbury going to and from the garage, and at one point she appeared to be laughing.

Investigators said the video also showed Samsudean bumping into walls as she walked and that she appeared to be impaired.

“He used his access to prey on someone who was very vulnerable,” said Orlando Police Chief John Mina.

They said she had returned home from a bar in downtown Orlando called The Attic.

Duxbury denied ever going into her apartment, but his thumbprint was found in her bathroom.

Channel 9 legal analyst Belvin Perry said it could be challenging for Duxbury to mount a defense.

"He denies going into the apartment. Stop there. His fingerprint is found inside of the bathroom. His shoe print is found," Perry said.

Investigators said they believe Duxbury raped Samsudean before or after killing her.

Investigators said it was a painstaking process that led them to Duxbury.

"It wasn't like we focused in and he was the only suspect. We had to go through everyone in the complex seen on video. Everyone was thoroughly investigated. We did not just solely focus on him," OPD Homicide Detective Dan Brady said.

According to investigators, Duxbury used bleach to try to destroy his DNA evidence on her body.

They said Duxbury took Samsudean's pants and underclothes to dispose of them and that he left her body wrapped in a comforter.

According to investigators, they didn't reveal how Samsudean died during their investigation because they knew that only her killer and investigators would know that detail.

Investigators said when they asked Duxbury, during a polygraph, about how Samsudean was killed, he  reacted most strongly to the question  "Do you know if Sasha was choked?" compared to whether she was poisoned, shot, stabbed or hit.

Duxbury had no criminal history. He did not make any comments during his initial appearance Saturday.

"The big question for him is whether or not the State of Florida chooses to seek the death penalty in this particular case," Perry said.

Duxbury is being held in the Volusia County Jail. His next appearance before a judge is expected to take place sometime in the next seven to 10 days. He is expected to be transferred to the Orange County Jail at some point.

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