A “bubbly” and “outgoing” 16-year-old girl in Florida was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, with the teen suspect using a “edged weapon” to hack the young victim to death — after she celebrated her birthday two weeks earlier — before dumping her body in a nature preserve, according to police.
Cameron Cubel, 16, of Hernando County, was indicted last week by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder for the “tragic” slaying of Abbriella Elliott sometime before she was discovered at the Cypress Lake Preserve on March 27, according to the state attorney’s office.
“Cubel unlawfully and from a premeditated design murdered Abbriella Faye Elliott, by inflicting multiple sharp force injuries, causing her to die,” prosecutors said in an April 17 press release. “Cubel is still being held on no bond in a juvenile detention facility. He will eventually be transferred to Hernando County and tried as an adult.”
Police officials and State Attorney Bill Gladson spoke at a press conference in March after Elliott’s body was discovered, saying the former couple appeared to be working through issues they had after splitting up at some point.
“We do have evidence of what I think could be described as somewhat of a dysfunctional relationship,” Gladson told local NBC affiliate WFLA.
“We learned from one witness that this young lady left her home early in the morning.” She went to meet someone who was most likely responsible for her death,” said Sheriff Al Nienhuis. “There was a lot of passion and a lot of violence involved in the particular death so we were relatively confident that it wasn’t a random act,” he recalled. “It was nothing short of very violent.”
Elliott’s family, who also spoke at the press conference last month, described her as “a bubbly outgoing smart beautiful little girl” who celebrated her birthday two weeks before her death. “She was always smiling,” a GoFundMe description reads.
“It’s a heartbreaking case,” Gladson told reporters. “Of course anytime there’s a homicide, it’s difficult, it’s terrible, it’s tragic; but when it happens to a child, and that’s what we’re talking about, a 16-year-old girl, it’s particularly tragic.”
The decision to charge Cubel as an adult was simple, according to the state attorney. “When you’re a juvenile and you commit an adult crime, you get charged as an adult,” Gladson told WFLA.
Gladson urged parents to be more “involved” in their children’s daily lives as she described ways for them to avoid similar situations.
“If you see them going down the path where there’s a boyfriend that’s extremely jealous, or possessive, or snooping around or something like that, be aware of that,” said the attorney for the prosecution.
Cubel could face life in prison if convicted.
