TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says it has ended a cold case investigation into the 20-year-old murder of a Tampa woman.

HCSO announced Sunday it is closing the case involving 31-year-old Tammy Fickey, who was found dead in early March 2005 in an apartment located in the area of 21st Street North. Her death at the time was ruled a homicide.

Deputies said there was a person of interest at the time, but investigators did not have enough evidence to make an arrest.

Around 17 years later, in November 2022, cold case detectives reopened the investigation and re-interviewed previous and new witnesses, as well as submitted additional evidence for forensic testing.

Detectives started focusing on a “familiar” suspect, identified as Arthur “Heavy” Debose. Authorities said they interviewed him at the RMC Correctional Facility, where he was incarcerated on unrelated drug charges.

HCSO said Debose gave conflicting statements and disclosed specific details about the crime that investigators believed would only be known by the person responsible. 

After reviewing the case, authorities conclude that 54-year-old Debose was responsible for Fickey’s murder. However, before charges could be filed, he died of natural causes in June 2024.

The case is officially closed due to Debose’s death, deputies explained.

“For twenty years, the name Tammy Fickey never left the minds of our investigators, because time does not diminish our responsibility to the victims we serve,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “While the suspect’s death prevents the accountability we pursue in every case, I am incredibly proud of the relentless work of our Cold Case Unit, whose dedication ensured the truth was uncovered and Tammy’s family was not forgotten.”