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Families grieving after two women were murdered at Winter Haven home

Posted at 3:58 PM, Oct 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-07 17:27:02-04

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Two different families are grieving the loss of two women murdered inside a Winter Haven over the weekend.

The two women, who were identified as 23-year-old Chanel Brown and 42-year-old Latoya Owens on Monday, were found dead inside a home on Avenue V NW just before 9:30 a.m. by someone returning to the home.


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The families of both victims sharing photos of their loved ones.

Owens, tragically was killed on her son’s birthday.

Her family described her as the most loving, giving, respectful and God-fearing woman anyone would want to meet.

Owens had a heart for the elderly as she was a CNA who worked with them.

Inside the house, was another woman, 23-year-old Chanel Brown, who may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Brown’s family said they believe she may have given Owens a ride home, but did not have many other details.

“We just pray justice is served, God forgive him, let justice be served, because no one deserves that, I don’t even wish it on him,” said Brown’s mother.

Right now, a person of interest in the case is behind bars on unrelated warrants after turning himself in.

Antonio Davis turned himself in to Lakeland Police on Monday for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. Both are unrelated to the case.

ABC Action News obtained an affidavit that detailed an incident with Davis in August.

The report states that an unidentified woman attempted to intervene and defend Owens after Davis allegedly slapped her in the face.

At the time, the witness told police Davis raised his shirt and displayed a firearm tucked into his front waistband.

The woman told police that, “she was in fear for her life.”

Unfortunately, both families don’t have many answers from police as they both describe the murders are gruesome, hard to comprehend.

The Owens family, left to clean up her home, said the there’s no way just one person could be responsible.

“It’s way too bad for one person to do this,” said Owens’ sister.

Winter Haven Police Chief Charlie Bird said they initially thought the victims may have suffered gunshot wounds, but they can't say for certain at this point in the investigation of what their cause of death may be. He said the scene was extensive.

Bird said, during a press conference over the weekend, Brown and Owens were last seen alive around 11 p.m. on Saturday night.

"There are two families that will obviously be grieving," Bird said. "Our thoughts and prayers from the Winter Haven Police Department and the Fire Department, Public Safety, are with those families."

A spokesperson for the police department said they are not calling Davis a suspect at this time, just a persons of interest and that they say they have other persons of interest they want to speak with.

They say there are a few pieces to the investigation missing so they still need the public’s help.

“No matter how insignificant it seems, somebody in that area may have heard or saw something, may have heard people talking, just prior to this instance,” said Jamie Brown.