Priscilla ‘Dawn’ Houck didn’t like the victim muscling in on her territory
SEMINOLE, Florida — A 16-month-old murder mystery took a wild twist when cops arrested a Florida woman for killing a man who had impregnated her girlfriend.
Investigators with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office say they believe Priscilla ‘Dawn’ Houck, 38, was the one responsible for gunning down 24-year-old Christopher Rotenburger in his front yard in Seminole in November 2015.
His murder remained unsolved until cops were able to piece together that Rotenburger had gotten his long-time girlfriend, Stephanie Dalrymple, 24, pregnant not long before he was killed.
It turned out that she had also been in a relationship with Houck, who was not pleased to find out that Dalrymple had been shacking up Rotenburger again, police said.
Witnesses told detectives that Houck had argued with Rotenburger in the days leading up to his death.
Before confronting Rotenburger in the early morning hours of Nov. 11, police say records show Houck had been frantically searching online how to buy a gun without a background check. She eventually found someone who sold her a gun for $200.
Houck’s roommates also told cops that she asked them to provide an alibi for her for the night of the shooting.
Following the shooting, Houck told someone that Rotenburger had been shot, before the information had been made public, cops said.
Stephanie Dalrymple and Chritopher Rotenburger in happier times
Houck has prior arrests for fraud and traffic violations, records show.
Dalrymple, who posted memorial photos of Rotenburger on Facebook following his death, later had the child. She has not been charged in the case, although authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
