NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was sentenced to life in prison in a New Port Richey cold case, police announced Friday.
The New Port Richey Police Department said the case involved a man who was found dead in a home under construction on Sanctuary Drive back on Nov. 28, 2001.
A medical examiner said the victim, Simon Clarke, was killed by blunt force trauma after examining injuries to his head and chest.
For years, investigators could not find a suspect, although they did find the murder weapon. In 2004, the case finally went “cold,” police said.
However, in 2016, officers reopened the case and gathered new details from pre-existing witnesses, as well as a new witness who was present for Clarke’s murder.
In 2018, a grand jury indicted Randy Petersilge for the murder, and on Nov. 14, 2022, Petersilge went to trial for first-degree murder.
After three days, the man was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
