FL FL - Erin Cobb, 10, St Petersburg, 26 Dec 1989

[BlackCloud]

This whole thing was just weird - we never saw or heard anything after the initial report. no idea what if anything the brother said, the boyfriend said, no arrests ever made. A 10 yr old child murdered in her home and nothing! Brotherfudz, I also noticed that Wilder101 hasn't been seen on WS since November 2017 - I found his posts odd.

It seems the local DA's office has no interest in finding who killed this kid....
District attorneys always want to solve some cold cases....

 

[Gkellams]

I lived across the hall from this family, and was present on the night that the daughter was murdered. Obviously, you can check the original police report, and see that I was interviewed by the police. While I did not see anything out of the ordinary, it did seem to me that these children a young girl and a young boy We're Alone often times... I was a very young woman 23 years old and I guess I just assumed that there was a parent apparent inside the hall apartment. The day that this incident occurred we returned for Christmas dinner about 6 p.m. and I do recall both children peering out of the apartment door smiling and wishing us Merry Christmas. To say the least I was shocked and dismayed the following day to find out that the girl had been strangled from what I was told by a Nintendo gaming cord. I was also years later told that the boyfriend home himself in the garage of the mom's apartment Five or six years to the date of her death. I don't know if that's correct or not, I've never looked into it. This shook me to my core! I had a two year old at the time, and was walking around my apartment with a loaded gun! I was terrified! Needless to say, we moved out a few months later... I never heard anything Additional regarding this murder. I've often wondered what the outcome was, who killed her, how close was I to this murderer? These facts have always stuck in my brain. My husband and I shortly moved out after this occurred. I tried to follow the case but there was very little information posted publicly. I have lived with the image of this little girl's face peering out of her door on Christmas afternoon at me for many many years... I have always had the assumption that it was the boyfriend because he did commit suicide a few years later in his garage by hanging, but I'm not a psychic. I have no idea if this is true or not... Needless to say, this incident literally changed my life! I've often thought of the mother who I understand was just out working to provide for her family, but at the same time I I have no idea the background of the boyfriend, other than what I have heard. I have often wondered how the brother, young son was doing years later... I hope he's doing well, I understand this case may never be, but I hope that it did not ruin his life. ironically, this situation caused me Stress and Anxiety and needless to say, could never live in an apartment type Community again! honestly, I had no idea that there were any people out there even looking into this case, let alone trying to figure out who actually committed this murder. I can only speculate based on my own suspicions and how I felt at the time of the occurrence of this incident that the boyfriends was guilty of this murder. I'm not psychic, but I did over the course of a few months Witness how he treated these children when their mother was working, and it was not pleasant to watch! please check the archives Of the st. Petersburg Times if you doubt my story.

 

[ctaylor]

Updated obit with a few more details. This says he died unexpectedly which could mean a 1000+1 reasons but could mean suicide.

Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search

I managed to find a Tampa Bay Times article from 20 June 1990 which confirms Stephen Wilder hanged himself and it was suicide rather than a murder as Wilder101 suggested. I note that Wilder101 shares the same name as Stephen Wilder so maybe there's a connection.

The article also mentions that he told police he drove Erin's mother to work and came home to find Erin dead. She had been strangled with an electrical cord.

I've attached the article here...

 

[Brotherfudz]

Can’t be a coincidence that user Wilder101 said that the boyfriend was murdered and not a suicide. Has to be a family member. Erins brother was still sleeping, boyfriend suicide due to the guilt of killing her sounds like it.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I dug up a few articles and gleaned a few details. What I find interesting is they don't know how she died, no knife or gunshot wounds but this is dated 12/28/1989. If she were drugged perhaps LE are keeping that quiet. In later articles it is mentioned that she was strangled.

This particular clip is a bit fuzzy. I do not have a subscriptions maybe that is why.

Erin M Cobb murdered? Tama Bay Times 12/28/1989 - Newspapers.com

Erin M Cobb murdered? Tampa Bay Times 12/28/1989

 

[PayrollNerd]

My apologies if this was posted previously. It is clearer and also dated 12/28/1989. The bail is listed as $2,013 in this article.

Erin M Cobb Murder The Tampa Tribune 12/28/1989 - Newspapers.com

Erin M Cobb Murder The Tampa Tribune 12/28/1989

 

[PayrollNerd]

This is much more in depth and dated 2015. In my opinion, this man abused this child. Her changed behavior was a huge clue. I bet that evidence was a sexual assault kit, clothing and bed sheets. I wonder if his profile is now in CODIS. JMO

Unsolved murder of child haunts neighbors // 10-year-old lived quietly, cautiously

Published Oct. 16, 2005

Snip:
-- SEE CORRECTION IN NOTES FIELD ST. PETERSBURG - Erin Cobb and her brother, Stacey, weren't the type of children to let just anyone in the apartment. The two, newcomers to Florida, were very security conscious.

But early on the day after Christmas, 10-year-old Erin was found dead, apparently strangled with an electrical cord while in bed. The front door was open, neighbors said. The child was found by her mother's live-in boyfriend, who called police.

The murder has left neighbors in the far north St. Petersburg apartment complex frightened. One even left home at night for a while to sleep. Nearly two weeks after Erin's death, no one is in custody.

Police have reported to city officials that they have a suspect.


"We've sent evidence to the laboratory, and we're waiting for the results to come back," police Maj. Cliff Fouts said.

Snip:
Some time after her arrival in Florida, Mrs. Cobb met Stephen Michael Wilder, a 29-year-old California native. He became her live-in boyfriend.

Neighbors know little about his background. "I'd pass him out in the hall and he wouldn't talk," Sealy said. Wilder stayed around the apartment during the day and was thought to be an unemployed mechanic.

At one time Wilder planned to move back to California, according to a man who purchased a Safety Harbor house co-owned by Wilder and Patrick Tifer.

Randy Seaver, who bought the home, said Tifer and Wilder told him at closing two years ago they were going to San Francisco. "They didn't have the house but a couple of years," Seaver said.

Erin's family, including Wilder, took a trip to West Virginia in the spring. By then, Erin had become quieter, Rosa Cobb said.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The address is 10170 11th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 and the apartment is 3-103. I'm guessing this means building 3, apartment 103?

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[PayrollNerd]

Similar but shorter article regarding the suicide. He was running/hiding from someone or something.

Man questioned in death kills self
Published Oct. 17, 2005

Stephen Wilder told police a peculiar story. The day after Christmas he telephoned them and said his girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter was dead. Erin Cobb apparently had been strangled with an electrical cord while in bed, police said.

She had been killed while her 11-year-old brother, Stacey, slept, police said. No one was charged, and the case remained a mystery.

On Monday, Wilder was found dead. He had hanged himself at a Shore Acres home, police and medical authorities said.

Although police said Wilder lived at 10075 Gandy Blvd. No. 14, neighbors said he had moved in with Anita Cobb and her son, Stacey, at the Shore Acres home.

Police said Wilder's body was discovered at 3:45 p.m. They refused to give other details.

Snip:
"He came over and introduced himself," said Sharon McKenna, who lives across the street. "He said, "If anyone asks for me. Just tell them I don't live here.' We thought that was strange."

 

[luxISlight]

I don’t remember the exact conversation but Wilder101 had messaged me directly as soon as I responded to the thread back in Feb 2017, I don’t remember exactly but they were connected in some way to the case, to the boyfriend if I remember correctly

I received a similar private message from him - he said Stephen Michael Wilder was his father and he was cleared through DNA.

 

[luxISlight]

I wonder why there is so little information out there about her murder. Poor angel, may she Rest In Peace.

 

[Brotherfudz]

DNA wasn’t even introduced into criminal cases until the 90’s, did they get his DNA from his children? At what point did they get his DNA?

 

[PayrollNerd]

DNA wasn’t even introduced into criminal cases until the 90’s, did they get his DNA from his children? At what point did they get his DNA?

If there was enough evidence left at the scene, perhaps they can test for DNA. In particular, a rape kit would primary proof of abuse but not necessarily murder. I can't imagine them not doing one, even in 1989.

I suspect the boyfriend was not murdered and he was not cleared via DNA. He was hiding from someone/something and his DNA just hasn't been added to CODIS yet. JMO but I think the family member on here was bluffing.

 

[luxISlight]

bumping