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Orlando, FL Missing Woman Found Dead in Groveland: Case Revisited
Groveland, FL – Nearly a decade after a 23 year old Orlando woman was found dead behind a vacant home in Lake County, Florida, investigators are renewing their appeal for information about her final d
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-10-17T15:40:36.981Z
Groveland, FL – Nearly a decade after a 23 year old Orlando woman was found dead behind a vacant home in Lake County, Florida, investigators are renewing their appeal for information about her final days. Detectives are seeking answers about how Essence Owens traveled from Orlando to Groveland before her body was discovered in August 2017.
According to the Lake County Sheriff 's Office, Owens was last seen August 6, 2017, in Orlando, FL, where she lived and worked. Family members subsequently reported her missing.
On August 19, 2017, a Realtor discovered Owens' body behind a vacant home listed for sale along Douglas Road in Groveland, FL.
Owens was just 23 years old when she died.
October 17, 2026: Detectives Revisit Unsolved Case
In a public cold case appeal Saturday, October 17, the Sheriff's Office asked anyone with information about Owens' whereabouts between August 6 and August 19, 2017, to contact investigators.
Detectives are particularly interested in determining how Owens traveled from Orlando, in Orange County, to Groveland, in neighboring Lake County.
Authorities also want to identify anyone who may have accompanied her during those 13 days.
The Sheriff's Office has not publicly identified a suspect or provided additional details about the circumstances of her death in the latest appeal.
Investigators Seek Information About Final Days
The case remains a focus of the Sheriff's Office Cold Case Team as investigators attempt to reconstruct Owens' movements before her body was discovered.
Even seemingly minor details about her activities, transportation or contacts during August 2017 could be relevant to the investigation.
How to Submit Information
Anyone with information about Essence Owens' case is encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Team at 352 343 9529 or email ColdCase@lcso.org .
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crimeline at 800 423 8477 TIPS .
The Sheriff's Office identifies the investigation as Case No. 170117875 .
Additional information about the agency's unsolved investigations is available at www.lcso.org/coldcase/ .