Man pummeled 76-year-old woman to death in hotel room: Police
Inset: Paul Stottler (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office). Background: The Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Emma Jean Mullins was found dead on June 25 (Google Maps).
A Florida man was arrested in connection with the grisly discovery of a dead woman in a hotel room.
Paul Stottler, 39, is in custody at the Pinellas County Jail after being charged with second-degree murder on Friday. According to a complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, police responded to the Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Florida, on June 25 after hotel staff found the body of 76-year-old Emma Jean Mullins in one of the rooms. Mullins was wrapped in sheets, covered in clothing, and hidden under one of the bed's mattresses.
Police said surveillance video captured Mullins entering the hotel with Stottler the night before around 10:45 p.m. Stottler was seen leaving the hotel by himself around 4:30 a.m.
Sign up for the Law&Crime Daily Newsletter for more breaking news and updatesIn a press release, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said evidence inside the hotel room where Mullins was found indicated that a struggle took place. Police said the furniture in the room was overturned and there were bloodstains and broken glass in various locations.
According to the complaint, Mullins suffered "blunt force trauma to her face and body." She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said that when Stottler left the hotel alone, he did not leave empty-handed. According to the press release, Stottler was seen on surveillance cameras carrying several bags out of the hotel and then throwing them in a dumpster in the parking lot. Police searched the dumpster and found "three documents with Mullins' name concealed in an ice bucket" along with men's clothing and bloodied bedding.
After police arrested Stottler, he reportedly admitted to dumping evidence when he left the hotel.
Police did not provide information about the relationship between Stottler and Mullins.
Stottler is being held without bond at the Pinellas County Jail. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday.
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'Most beautiful girl in the world' Thylane Blondeau is married!
Thylane Blondeau has married her partner Ben Attal in the French capital just three months after announcing their engagement.
The model, labelled the most beautiful girl in the world by Vogue Enfants after entering the fashion industry as a child, tied the knot with the DJ, 29, today.
The French native, 25, looked impossibly chic in a stunning white gown with elegant cape-style detailing as she arrived at the ceremony with her husband.
Thylane wore her brunette hair in a neat chignon and had a soft palette of makeup.
She was carrying a bouquet of white calla lilies, while holding out her other hand to her new husband Ben as they entered the venue.
The smiling newlyweds arrived in a Porsche 356 Speedster, with their guests stood outside to greet them and snap photos.
The couple took the non-traditional approach of arriving at their wedding ceremony together.
Thylane Blondeau has married her partner Ben Attal in the French capital just three months after announcing their engagement
The model, labelled the most beautiful girl in the world by Vogue Enfants after entering the fashion industry as a child, tied the knot with the DJ, 29, today
The French native looked impossibly chic in a stunning white gown with elegant cape-style detailing as she arrived at the ceremony with her husband
Parisian Ben looked dapper for their big day in a sharp navy suit, which he wore with a white shirt and his long curly hair slicked back.
Thylane confirmed her engagement to Ben after he proposed during a romantic trip to Greece.
Announcing the engagement across social media, she shared photos of the picturesque coastal setting chosen by Ben to ask for her hand in marriage.
She also shared photos of her engagement ring - an enormous diamond set in a simple, solid gold band.
Captioning the posts, she wrote: 'I said yes to my best friend. Here’s to forever.'
Ben had pulled out all the stops ahead of his proposal, scattering a trail of red rose petals to an outdoor table with a sweeping coastal view.
The pair celebrated their happy news with a break away at the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel in Greece.
Nestled on the glamorous Athens Riviera, the venue boasts one of the highest Michelin-rated hotels in Greece and has sweeping views of the Aegean Sea.
Ahead of the proposal, Thylane had posted a picture of the Greek flag and revealed she was heading back home as their trip came to a close.
The smiling newlyweds arrived in a Porsche 356 Speedster, with their guests stood outside to greet them and snap photos
Thylane wore her brunette locks back into a neat chignon and enhanced her natural beauty with a soft palette of makeup
The couple took the non-traditional approach of arriving at their wedding ceremony together
She was carrying a bouquet of white calla lilies, while holding out her other hand to her new husband Ben as they entered the venue Parisian
Ben looked dapper for their big day in a sharp navy suit, which he wore with a white shirt and his long curly hair slicked back
Thylane confirmed her engagement to Ben after he proposed during a romantic trip to Greece
She then shared a hilarious picture of Ben grappling with all their excess luggage on the back of a motorbike.
Thylane began dating Ben in 2020, little more than a year after ending her former relationship with French DJ, Milane Meritte.
She and Ben first went Instagram official in January 2019 and would regularly be spotted going on dates around Los Angeles prior to their split.
The model daughter of retired footballer Patrick Blondeau, she walked for Jean Paul Gaultier at the age of four and then later, aged ten, became the youngest ever model to pose for Vogue Paris.
She would rocket to fame in 2006, at the age of six, after being named the 'most beautiful girl in the world' by Vogue Enfants.
It is an accolade that she won on two separate occasions, as 12 years later Thylane once again cinched the coveted title, coming in top of TC Candler's 2018 annual awards list.
But the editorial attracted criticism at the time, for being too 'sexualised' as Thylane wore short dresses and makeup.
Her mother Veronika Loubry, a fashion designer, later defended the cover, telling a French newspaper: 'The only thing that shocks me about the photo is the necklace that she's wearing, which is worth 3 million Euros,' or about $4.3million.'
Thylane's parents were married from 2002 to 2016 before their divorce, with her mother eventually moving on with a new partner - producer Gerard Kadoche.
Thylane, who is the daughter of French footballer Patrick Blondeau and TV presenter Veronika Loubry, was dubbed the 'most beautiful girl in the world' as a child
The French model shared photos of her engagement ring - an enormous diamond set in a simple, solid gold band
They were together for nearly ten years before his death and were engaged to be married.
Following a long battle with pancreatic cancer Gérard passed away in December, with the model paying tribute to him on her social media on Thursday.
Sharing a series of family photos, she wrote: 'My Gege. If you only knew how much we already miss you… We're so miserable without you.
'You hold such an important place in my heart, in my life. I'm so grateful for everything you taught me, for everything you did for my mom, my little brother, and me. Life without you will never be the same.
You fought like a true warrior, we're so proud of you, you're a miracle, my Gégé. I'm going to miss you so much, my guitar partner… But I know that from now on, every time I play, you'll be there, right beside me.
'I also know how proud you were of my new brand. I promise you I'm going to give it my all, even more than before, to make you even prouder.
'Thank you for always believing in me, you always pushed me, encouraged me, loved me, and I'll never forget that.
'And like I told you yesterday, I promise I'll take care of Mom, my little brother, and my sisters forever.
'My dear stepfather. I love you so much, forever.'
Ben pulled out all the stops ahead of his proposal, scattering a trail of red rose petals to an outdoor table with a sweeping coastal view
Thylane showed off her engagement ring in a series of social media photos on Sunday
Thylane began dating Ben in 2020, little more than a year after ending her former relationship with French DJ, Milane Meritte, (pictured in 2019)
Thylane has one sibling. A younger brother called Ayrton Blondeau.
In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, Thylane said she distanced herself from the girl who was once declared the world's 'most beautiful'.
She said: 'Even today, people are like, "you are the most beautiful girl," and I'm like, "no, I'm still not, I'm just a human being, a teenager."
Thylane was a toddler when an agent for Gaultier insisted she model for the designer the following day.
'My mum said, "No, she's not with an agency, she can't do this",' Thylanesaid.
'Jean Paul Gaultier said, "She has to be there tomorrow." So Mum was like, 'Why not?'
The opportunity meant the world of fashion rolled out the red carpet for Thylane, who appeared in French Vogue as part of a controversial 2010 fashion spread titled 'Quel Maquillage à Quel Âge?' or, in English, 'What Makeup at What Age?'
Thylane at only ten years old was dressed in a low-cut gold dress and heels, shooting the camera a sultry gaze - as the images sparked backlash for 'sexualising' the pre-teen.
Six years later, she made her adult runway debut in February 2017, when she walked for Dolce & Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week. The debut was such a success the designer duo invited her back to walk for them again in September 2017.
Thylane was also chosen as a brand ambassador for L'Oreal, and named the face of a perfume by French designer Lolita Lempicka.
She shared screen space with Zendaya, Lucky Blue Smith, and Presley Gerber, when Thylane was chosen to be a part of Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2017 campaign.
Since she earned worldwide fame as the world's most beautiful girl, Thylane has mingled with the creme de la creme of the industry, including Jourdan Dunn and Gigi Hadid.
Brooklyn Beckham used to live next door to her in the exclusive west London neighbourhood of Kensington.
In 2020, Thylane founded her own clothing line called No Smile. All the pieces have the tagline: "I'd rather no smile than do a fake smile.”
Thylane previously spoke about how she would not be adhering to size 0 beauty standards.
She previously said: 'I don't want to be skinny. Even if people are like, "she's not that skinny, she can't do this show," I'm just like, "ok fine, I'm not going to do that show."
'I'm not going to be skinny and not eat for them. If I want to eat, I can eat. I eat burgers. I'm not going to change this ever.'
She added she enjoys tucking in to a burger and thinks it's important that people see her personality rather than just her good looks.
