A man in South Florida was arrested Saturday after law enforcement said he bound the legs and feet of a woman, held her underwater until she stopped breathing, and then removed the ropes and left her body in a canal to make it look like an accidental drowning.
Lorenzo Jerome Pulliam, 28, was arrested at his apartment in Dania Beach, Fla., Saturday and charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of 23-year-old Allyson Williams, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
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The sheriff's regional communications received a call at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 25 regarding a body spotted floating in the Dania Beach Cut-off Canal. Deputies, marine, and dive team units responded and recovered the body later identified as Williams near Northeast 3rd Avenue.
Detectives said Lorenzo Jerome Pulliam tied up the woman and drowned her before untying the bonds and abandoning her body. (Broward County Sheriff's Office)
Crime scene and homicide detectives also responded to the scene to investigate what appeared to be an apparent drowning and later “received information” that helped identify Pulliam as someone possibly involved in her death. Investigators obtained multiple search warrants and evidence implicating Pulliam in the murder, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
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Detectives determined Pulliam allegedly tied up Williams' hands and feet and threw her into the canal before he jumped into the water to drown her on Sept. 21. After killing Williams, investigators said Pulliam untied the victim before disposing of the body.
This means Pulliam allegedly killed Williams four days before the body was found, and he was arrested about two weeks after her death.
Both the suspect and the victim have an extensive criminal history, though it was unclear if the two knew each other or if they had a relationship, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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Pulliam has been arrested in the past in both Broward and Lee counties on charges including possession of drugs, burglary, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and disturbing peace. Williams had been arrested at least twice in Broward County on possession of drug paraphernalia charges as well as additional charges, including prowling, trespassing, burglary, and battery on a law enforcement officer.
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