Hillsborough judge notes 'total depravity' as she orders man detained in McKay Bay murder

Robert Kessler, accused of killing and dismembering his housemate, will remain jailed without bail.

TAMPA — The Lutz man accused of murdering and dismembering a woman and tossing her body parts off the 22nd Street Bridge into McKay Bay will remain jailed without bail, a judge ruled Wednesday.

After hearing two hours of lurid testimony from a homicide detective, Judge Catherine Catlin concluded there were no release conditions she could impose on Robert Kessler that would ensure the community’s safety.

“The total depravity that is evident in this crime leads me to believe there is a risk of harm to community,” the judge said.

Kessler, 69, did not attend the hearing. His attorneys waived his presence. He is accused of second-degree murder and abuse of a dead human body in the death of Stephanie Crone-Overholts.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2021/12/01/hillsborough-judge-notes-total-depravity-as-she-orders-man-detained-in-mckay-bay-murder/