HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — New details have been released regarding the case of a sexual battery and kidnapping that occurred in Hollywood Beach.
Hollywood police took Brandon Ward McCray, 28, into custody back on Jan. 5 in relation to the death of 58-year-old Heather Asendorf.
Jail records show he is facing charges of first-degree murder, sexual battery, kidnapping and battery by strangulation.
Back in the early-morning hours of Dec. 26, police said they were alerted to a body in the sand near Cleveland Street. First responders would pronounce Asendorf dead at the scene, with investigators later determining that foul play was suspected in her death.
According to an arrest warrant, investigators were able to identify the victim due to belongings that were left with her body, which included a backpack containing a make-up bag, a hotel room key, sneakers, a sweater, a skirt, a bra and eyeglasses. Officers noted there was possible blood splattered on the sweater.
Police also said they received a description of an unknown person who was seen carrying the victim’s body down to the sand while nude and wrapped in a bed sheet.
Later, authorities also noticed blood on a nearby sidewalk and established a second crime scene, locating additional items including clothes and a drawstring backpack near the pool area of the Oasis Surfside Rental Condos located at 330 Arthur Street.
Per the warrant, Investigators were able to obtain an image of a person of interest that matched the description of the suspect who was seen carrying the victim’s body to the sand.
Later on Dec. 26, just before 11 p.m., officers at a Circle K located at 890 N Federal Highway observed someone who matched the description, later identified as McCray, and began speaking with him about what he had done that day, but the information was redacted from the arrest report.
Acting on what they were told by McCray, officers said they went back to the 330 Arthur Street scene “in an attempt to locate the laundry room where McCray stated he had sex, hoping to find physical evidence.”
Officers said they located a laundry room at 319 Connecticut and found several pieces of evidence, including a silver hoop earring and woman’s underwear, as well as a security camera facing the washer and dryer.
Detectives said after reviewing several hours of security footage obtained from multiple sources, they were able to track the suspect and victim leading up to when they located the victim on the sand.
Surveillance video showed the McCray and the victim walking along North Surf Road, and police described what they saw as the victim trying to get away from McCray unsuccessfully, as he “forcefully grabbed the victim with his right arm, placed his hand over her mouth, and wrapped his left around her waist.
This continued for several minutes until police said McCray eventually forcibly carried the victim to the laundry room at 319 Connecticut St. where video showed him sexually assault her while she was unconscious.
Police said the victim regained consciousness during the assault and tried to fight back, causing McCray to slam her multiple times, face down, into the washing machine, while also choking her and punching her in the face with a closed fist multiple times, the report stated.
At one point, McCray appeared to finish and began getting dressed while takin the victim’s belongings and tossing them aside. Police said McCray then decided to assault the woman a second time, once again choking and striking the victim as she tried to stop him. Police said her body eventually went limp again after McCray had her in a choke hold and lifted her off the ground.
Police said McCray then carried the victim out of the laundry room to a four-foot wall and propped her up against it for approximately 45 seconds before throwing her over the wall and onto the ground.
Several hours later, police said surveillance footage showed McCray packing up the victim’s items into the backpack and removing a bed sheet from a laundry machine while also leaving behind items in the laundry room that were later found by officers.
Prosecutors have since announced that they are seeking the death penalty in the case.
McCray remains behind bars at the Broward Mail Jail as of Wednesday afternoon.
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