Six Months Later, Jason Paul Stabbing Still Unsolved

Renee Langfritz struggles to make it through every day.

Her son, Jason Paul, was found stabbed to death near Crest Lake Park just more than six months ago.

In the wake of Paul’s death, rewards were offered to find his killer. His face was printed on flyers and plastered on utility poles around Clearwater and the Skycrest Neighborhood as well as on a handful of billboards throughout the Tampa Bay area. Residents rallied and held a candlelight vigil in his honor at Crest Lake Park.

But still, no new leads. No suspects. Nothing.

“We’re putting flyers up all around the area, other than that it’s like everyone forgot about it,” Langfritz said. “They committed a heinous crime and they should pay for what they did. ... I don’t know how they can look at their self in the mirror every morning. I still believe they’re out there and they believe they got away with it.”

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Clearwater Police investigators are actively following leads that trickle in.

“There is no new information to release in the case,” said Rob Shaw, police spokesman. “Detectives are actively investigating the case at this time.”

Detectives say Paul, 22, was riding his bike home from work at Sunset Point Road and U.S. 19. He stopped at Walmart and bought some cleaning supplies, which were found still strapped to his bike when his body was discovered a block from his house at 12:40 a.m. Jan. 6 on Glenwood Avenue.

Paul was found with his property on him and with his bike; still, investigators do not have enough information to rule out if he was stabbed during a robbery. They’re continuing to search for the murder weapon, which could be a knife or other sharp object.

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Safety in the park and the Skycrest Neighborhood became an issue in light of the stabbing.

And police stay active in the neighborhood and Crest Lake Park.

In the six months since the incident there have been 405 calls for service; 52 "park, walk and talks"; and 273 directed patrols in the area from Jan.7 to June 13, Shaw said.

That's more than in the six months before Paul was found stabbed.

From June 2012 to January 2013, there were 352 calls for service, mostly for suspicious people, ordinance violations and complaints about the homeless.

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Langfritz still puts up the posters.

The reward flyers feature Paul’s face and the offering of $10,000 to help solve the case. Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000 reward.

Langfritz doesn’t put them up at Crest Lake Park. She can’t go by the park and has not taken Marley, Jason’s dog, there since a candlelight vigil in February.

Jason was a good kid, trying to get his life on track, Langfritz said. He was working two jobs and planning to start school.

Langfritz recently celebrated her 50th birthday. Her wish was for Jason to be there, too. It got her thinking about Jason’s July 2 birthday.

She hopes DNA results come back with fresh leads for investigators and waits for the lab results, which can take some time.

“It’s not going to take the pain away, it will answer questions,” she said.

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Langfritz is left looking after Marley, Paul’s dog.

The two would spend nearly every day in Crest Lake Park.

Now Marley lays around most days, just beneath a mantle, where an urn containing his ashes sits. Marley sleeps under it all day, Langfritz said.

“I don’t know how he knows that’s where they’re at,” Langfritz said. “The minute we unpacked the urn, set it up ... Marley started freaking out.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Clearwater Police's Tip Line at 727-562-4422, or send tips anonymously to 847411 (tip411) or at the police website www.clearwaterpolice.org or Facebook page.