Delray Beach Murder Victim Identified as Margate Woman

Investigators are one step closer to throwing some lights on what happened to a young woman discovered dead on the side of a road in rural Delray Beach. Yesterday, the Palm Beach Sheriff Office announced they had discovered the identity of the young woman found over the weekend: she is...

By Kyle Swenson

April 23, 2015

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Investigators are one step closer to throwing some lights on what happened to a young woman discovered dead on the side of a road in rural Delray Beach. Yesterday, the Palm Beach Sheriff Office announced they had discovered the identity of the young woman found over the weekend: she is a 28-year-old woman from Margate named Vanessa Carmen Williams Bristol.

Over the weekend, a driver on Smith Sundy Road in an unincorporated stretch of the town spotted a body in the brush off the road. Police were on the scene quickly.

The body was later determined to have been the victim of foul play. The area — rural, quiet, creepily in the middle of nowhere, and not far from access to the Florida Turnpike and other main traffic routes — appeared to be the perfect place to dump a body. Further details about the cause of death or how Williams-Bristol was killed have not been released.

"We do not believe the homicide occurred where she was found," PBSO's Teri Barbera stated yesterday in a release. "This investigation is still very active and ongoing."

Bristol's name and birthdate are attached to a number of local addresses, including homes in Lauderdale Lakes, Miami, Lauderhill, North Miami Beach, as well as addresses in Philadelphia, and Charlotte. Locally, Broward Court records show that outside of some traffic-related charges, Williams-Bristol only has a 2009 petit theft charge on her record. The courts also show she was divorced in 2013 from a guy named Joseph Bristol.

West Boca News seems to have turned up some photos of the victim. They'll break your heart when you consider how the young woman's life ended. It one of the photos, Williams-Bristol appears extremely pregnant.

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