Investigators have begun a new search of a Hernando County property for potential additional victims of convicted serial killer Billy Mansfield. The search, which commenced Monday, involves the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the State Attorney's Office, focusing on an area at Dry Creek Ranch after cadaver dogs signaled the presence of human remains.
The excavation is part of a long-standing effort by authorities to re-examine evidence connected to Mansfield, whose family resided in Hernando County. The current search follows leads developed from a years-long review of case files and interviews with Mansfield, with assistance from federal and state agencies. Investigators previously excavated another site based on this review but found no remains.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis stated that Billy Mansfield and his brother, Gary Mansfield, were involved in a homicide investigation in California in the late 1970s. Information from that case led Hernando County investigators to search property associated with the Mansfield family, resulting in the discovery of four bodies in the early 1980s. While two victims were quickly identified and a third was identified later, authorities are now utilizing genetic genealogy to identify the remaining victim and locate any surviving relatives.
Authorities have long suspected that Mansfield may have had additional victims. Nienhuis noted that Mansfield himself previously suggested the possibility of more bodies in Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, but an agreement for further information in exchange for reduced charges was never reached.
This renewed investigation was reopened approximately three years ago. A previous excavation at another identified location yielded no human remains. However, a continued examination of records eventually directed authorities to the current search areas north and west of previous sites. While cadaver dogs did not indicate buried remains near Fort Dade Avenue and Citrus Way on Monday, alerts at Dry Creek Ranch prompted the ongoing digging.
Nienhuis expressed cautious optimism about the current search, stating, "We're cautiously optimistic we might actually find something." He acknowledged that prosecution for any potential new discoveries is unlikely due to the age of the cases but emphasized the commitment to identifying victims and providing closure to families.
Mansfield's name gained national attention last year when he confessed to the 1980 murder of 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett. Barrett's body was found in a Jacksonville, Florida, ditch, and she had been abducted from a Daytona Beach motel during spring break. The case remained unsolved for decades until investigators revived it around 2017, leading to Mansfield's confession after approximately two years of interviews. He was 24 years old at the time of Barrett's death.
Mansfield is currently serving multiple life sentences, including a life sentence in California and four concurrent life sentences in Florida, for the murders of five women and girls between 1975 and 1980. He pleaded guilty to a California murder to avoid the death penalty in Florida and has been incarcerated since 1982. Some victims were reportedly buried under his home in Spring Hill, Florida.