Man Walks into Fla. Sheriff's Office to Admit to 2011 Murder

Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives had never stopped looking for leads in the strangling 10 years ago of 29-year-old Nicole Rose Scott, whose body was found in a wooded area in December 2011.

They made an arrest Wednesday after a man they had questioned earlier in the case walked into the Sheriff’s Operation Center and admitted to the crime, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Benjamin Moulton, 43, of Sarasota, told detectives that in the years since the crime, he had “found Jehovah and couldn’t live with the guilt anymore,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Moulton said he killed Rose in a fit of rage and provided other details about the case that were never released to the public, the Sheriff’s Office said.

After consulting with the State Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office arrested Moulton on a charge of first-degree murder.

A man spotted the partially clothed body Dec. 11, 2011, in a wooded area off University Boulevard and called 9-1-1. Deputies noted Rose had suffered injuries to her face. An autopsy determined she was strangled and likely dropped off in the remote area several days before the body was found.

Detectives followed up on a number of leads and questioned Moulton about his connection to Rose. He denied any involvement in her murder and detectives lacked evidence to link him to the crime.

During the past few years, detectives continued to search for new information but were unable to develop a clear suspect, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The investigation continues.

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