Tarpon Springs Woman Raises Suspicions About Sister's Death

The 2008 death of a Tarpon Springs woman's sister is being looked at more closely by investigators as part of an unusual confluence of deaths surrounding a Virginia man, The Associated Press reports.

Alma Collins was found dead in Prince William County, VA, in what was ruled a suicide. But suspicions were recently raised by Collins' sister, Elva Caraballo of Tarpon Springs, who said she tried to contact Prince William County police but that detectives wouldn't return her phone calls, the AP reports.

The suspicions surround Collins' son, Joaquin S. Rams of Manassas, VA, whose 15-month-old son was found dead in October during a three-hour, unsupervised visit, according to the AP. The boy's cause of death has not been determined, and Rams has not been charged with a crime, but the incident has led investigators to reexamine Collins' death, as well as the 2003 shooting death of Rams' ex-girlfriend, Shawn K. Mason.

Authorities say they have not yet found anything to indicate Collins' death was not a suicide. But her son, Joseph Velez — Rams' half brother — told the AP it makes no sense that his mother would kill herself.

Read more about this mysterious case and its link to Tarpon Springs in the AP report posted by NBC News.