TAMPA, FL – A Tampa teenager faces a murder charge after authorities say he called 911 to confess his involvement in a homicide, leading investigators to the grim discovery of a woman’s body in a vacant lot.
Justin Hawker, 17, was taken into custody on September 20 after reportedly phoning emergency services and telling dispatchers he was connected to a killing at his home. Police say the admission came as detectives were investigating the disappearance of 37-year-old Andie Morrell, whose body was found wrapped in bedding and duct tape behind a nearby commercial building the previous day.
Morrell, who worked as an exotic dancer and visited clients’ homes according to statements from her roommate, was last in contact on the evening of September 10. She informed her roommate via text that she was heading to a residence later identified as Hawker’s.
Morrell’s family, alarmed by her lack of contact, used a cellphone tracker to trace her phone to Hawker’s address. The device remained in that location from the night she vanished, indicating that she likely never left the property.
Surveillance footage from the area where Morrell’s body was dumped played a crucial role in the investigation. Camera recordings captured a male, fitting Hawker’s description, arriving in a car reported stolen and carrying a gas can toward the body on the morning of September 11. The individual was seen pouring fluid over the body and attempting to set it alight, but the effort was unsuccessful.
Shortly after, the same car collided with a median. The driver, matching Hawker’s appearance, exited the vehicle, removed its license plates, and then left the scene on foot, according to investigators.
When law enforcement visited the home connected to the disappearance, they encountered Hawker and his 15-year-old girlfriend, both of whom seemed visibly unsettled. Deputies noticed the strong odor of bleach and various bleach stains on the carpet. The girlfriend explained she had spilled the chemical during cleaning, though investigators remained unconvinced. An adult male also linked to the home was reportedly away on a cruise at the time of Morrell’s disappearance.
A subsequent search of the residence yielded several significant pieces of evidence. Investigators found blood stains in the living room, an empty gun magazine belonging to a firearm discovered in Hawker’s bedroom, and clothing resembling that seen in the surveillance video. Duct tape matching that found at the crime scene was also recovered.
During questioning, Hawker first claimed he had fallen asleep at a nearby playground on the night Morrell disappeared. He later said he had tried using bleach to clean another stain. As detectives pressed further, Hawker indicated he was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms and asked for a lawyer.
Two individuals provided further details to authorities. One, a neighborhood resident, reported seeing a woman matching Morrell’s description on Hawker’s porch the night of her disappearance. The neighbor also heard two loud noises that sounded like gunshots from the house. An autopsy later confirmed Morrell died from a gunshot wound that damaged her aorta and right lung.
Another witness, described as a friend of Hawker’s girlfriend, told police she had been shown a firearm via a video call after Morrell went missing. The girlfriend allegedly promised to share more about the events later.
Following his arrest, Hawker was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and is being charged as an adult with second-degree murder with a firearm and tampering with evidence. During a recent court hearing, he was ordered to remain in custody without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for October 13.