Missing Lutz Woman’s Body Found

LUTZ, FL —The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a body found on Monday in the Violet Curry Preserve belongs to Melanie Lynn Cardona. The Lutz woman was reported missing on May 20.

According to the sheriff’s office, positive identification was made by the medical examiner’s office. That agency also “determined the cause of death to be suicide,” according to a Wednesday email from the sheriff’s office.

Deputies said Cardona left her East 151st Avenue home on foot sometime between 1:30 and 9 a.m. May 20 and had not been seen or heard from since.

“Melanie left all personal items at her residence and only took with her a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver,” a previous email from the sheriff’s office said.

The park where Cardona was discovered was not far from her home. Violet Curry Preserve is located at 1802 Sinclair Hills Road.

Further information about Cardona’s death is not being released at this time.

With an estimated 42,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

Keep up with what’s happening by following Lutz Patch on Facebook.

Image via Shutterstock