A St. Petersburg man accused of stabbing a woman to death in an alley is now accused of committing two rapes, including one in a cemetery, in the year before the murder.
Tommy Stephens, 52, was arrested in March in connection with the stabbing death of 34-year-old Jona Waller. Police said he ran into her in an alley south of 255 37th Street N on March 17 and stabbed her to death. His body was found later that day. Stephens was arrested a week later on a charge of murder.
Now, police say they have evidence that Stephens committed two rapes before the murder. One occurred on Feb. 16 when Stephens entered a woman’s bedroom while she was naked and raped her, detectives said.
The other case occurred on April 18, 2022, when police said Stephens followed a woman into Royal Palms Cemetery at 101 55th St. S in St. Petersburg while entering a closed tomb. Stephens grabbed her from behind, threw her to the ground and raped her, police said. The woman later distracted him and fled, police said.
Since his arrest in March, Stephens has been held in the Pinellas County Jail. He has pleaded not guilty to the stabbing case and is scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
Police ask that anyone who has experienced a similar sexual assault or has information about these particular incidents contact them at 727-893-7780 or text “SPPD” and any tips to TIP411.
