PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL – On December 17, 2021, at approximately 9:16 am, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding an individual discovering a body in a residence at 19607 Bonita Drive, Panama City Beach. Deputies responded and discovered the body of a female inside a bedroom of the residence. It was determined that she was not a resident at that address. The victim is identified as Whitney Lynn Strickland (W/F DOB 04/11/96)
The Criminal Investigations Division responded and are conducting a homicide investigation. The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office responded to conduct an investigation into the cause and manner of death.
A person of interest is in custody in Cullman County, Alabama on unrelated charges based on information relayed by BCSO Investigators. Investigators are currently enroute to Alabama to conduct interviews and gather additional evidence.
Sheriff Ford would like to thank the Cullman County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office, the US Marshals Service, the Panama City Beach Police Department and the Panama City Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.