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MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Detectives with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office say they need help from the public solving a brutal murder.
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The investigation started just before 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 25 when Marion County deputies were called to a home in Citrus Park to check on 59-year-old Timothy Floyd Smith because he didn’t show up for work the previous day.
Deputies entered the home and found Smith dead from an apparent “violent attack.”
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According to the sheriff’s office, investigators have determined Smith was last seen around 4 p.m. the previous Thursday as he was leaving work.
Now, they’re trying to figure out what Smith was doing and who he may have been associating with in the days before he died.
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Detectives with the Marion County Major Crimes unit say they’re interested in speaking to people who knew Smith with the hopes of simply figuring out why someone would want to kill him.
In a statement, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said his detectives believe Smith was killed by someone he knew.
“My detectives have been working around the clock to investigate this brutal murder,” Sheriff Woods said. “Somebody out there knows something. No piece of evidence or bit of information is insignificant.”
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information that may help their investigation to contact Detective Daniel Pinder directly at (352) 368-3508.
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Information can also be relayed anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Marion County at (352) 368-7867 by referencing 23-21 in the tip. Callers who make tips directly to Crime Stoppers could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if the information leads to an arrest.
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