Florida Man Sentenced for Brutal Murder of Motel Housekeeper
Share and Follow

A Florida man was sentenced to two life terms and 132.5 more years for the murder of a Sarasota County motel housekeeper in 2021, along with other counts including battery and property damage.

Tina Strader’s husband found her badly beaten and stuffed into a closet at the Rodeway Inn where she worked in 2021, as CrimeOnline reported. Gerald Strader said he went to the hotel when she didn’t respond to texts and calls after she started cleaning a room at the motel.

Stephen Havrilka, 34, was charged with Strader’s murder and found guilty, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported. Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Dana Moss sentenced him to life in prison for the murder and a second life term for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for an incident while he was in jail in 2024.

Moss then handed the defendant five separate 26.5 years terms for two counts of battery by a detained person, two counts of property damage over $1,000, and one count of battery of a police officers. The two life terms are to be served concurrently with the 132.5 years to be added on as consecutive sentences.

Havrilka had been staying at the motel for several days prior to Strader’s murder, investigators said.

Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig said that Havrilka first strangled Strader with his hands and her work lanyard, but when she regained consciousness stuffed a washcloth into her mouth.

“In this case, what I think is so appalling was it was a random killing,” Fraivillig said. “There was no relationship that existed between Tina Strader, the victim in this case, and the defendant.”

Havrilka was found incompetent to stand trial three times before an order restored his competency on November 22, 2023. His trial was initially set for February 2024 but was delayed several times.

In April 2024, before the trial could begin, Havrilka got into a fight with another inmate, using a sink faucet stem as a weapon.

Strader’s family did not attend the sentencing hearing, but Fraivillig read a statement from her children describing how she created handmade birthday cards.

“She’d use construction paper and build them into the kind that pop-up when you open them,” the letter states. “She used every color marker, and she brought so much color to the world.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Decades-Old Michigan Murder Case Revisited: Children Pursue Justice for Mother 42 Years Later

Over 40 years have passed since the tragic stabbing of Belinda Gardella,…

Repeat Offender Caught Stealing from Butler Plaza Stores, Heads to Pawn Shop with Stolen Goods

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On October 21, authorities arrested 36-year-old Sherry…

January 6 Gunman Sentenced for Kidnapping: Latest Developments in High-Profile Case

Left: John Banuelos after his October 2025 arrest (Cook County Sheriff”s Office).…

Tragic Tale: Infant’s Heartbreaking End Alone in Motel Swing Sparks Outrage

Background: Bestway Inn Motel in Muncie, Indiana (WTHR). Insets, from left: Jacob…

Pre-Dawn Parking Lot Attacks: Man Targeting Women Sparks Safety Concerns

Thomas O’Bryen (Norfolk Police Department). A Virginia man is set to spend…

Adult Film Star on Trial for Alleged Murder of Husband’s Father

The trial of a Nevada adult film actress, charged with the gruesome…

False Allegation Leads to Shooting: Police Investigate Woman’s Deceptive Claim About Hidden Man

Patty Armour and Lois Armour (Ralls County Jail). When officers came to…

Urgent: Help Locate Missing Georgia Man and His Dog – Last Seen Leaving Home Together

The search is ongoing for a Georgia man who mysteriously disappeared on…