28-year-old faces homicide and sexual battery charges after a family member was found dead and another relative reported being strangled in a Lehigh Acres duplex

Whycliff Longin, a 28-year-old Haitian national, is being held without bond at the Lee County Jail in Fort Myers, Florida, following his arrest on charges of second-degree murder and sexual battery, according to booking records from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and a probable cause affidavit filed with the Lee County Clerk of Courts.

What the Probable Cause Affidavit Alleges

According to the sworn probable cause statement authored by Lee County Sheriff’s Detective Paul O’Leary, deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 2:54 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026, regarding a disturbance at a duplex residence. A woman who lived at the residence told deputies she awoke to find Longin — described in the affidavit as her cousin — on top of her in bed, attempting to strangle her by squeezing his hands around her neck. She stated the two struggled and fell to the floor, where he continued choking her with one hand while covering her mouth and pinching her nose with the other, leaving her unable to breathe. She was eventually able to scream, at which point Longin fled the room; she locked her door and called 911.

The woman identified Longin by his build and a distinctive hairstyle, telling investigators she recognized him despite the dark room. She further told detectives that the decedent — her aunt, who also resided at the property — did not like Longin and only tolerated his presence because he was considered a family member, though the affidavit notes a recent DNA test had determined he was not biologically related to the family.

Deputies located and apprehended Longin a short distance from the residence after he attempted to flee to a separate address and was found exiting through a back door. During a subsequent safety sweep of the home, deputies located an unresponsive adult woman — identified in the affidavit only as “the decedent” — in the master bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:52 a.m.

The Interview and Escalating Charges

Longin was interviewed by detectives with the assistance of a Haitian Creole interpreter after being read his Miranda rights, which he stated he understood, agreeing to answer questions without an attorney present. According to the affidavit, Longin initially denied harming the decedent and claimed she was alive when he left the residence. When confronted with evidence of her death and visible facial injuries, his account changed: he said the two had been drinking wine, that she had complained of nausea and high blood pressure, and that they had engaged in sexual activity he described as consensual. He later told investigators that although the decedent had always known him as her nephew, she became willing to engage in a romantic and sexual relationship with him after the DNA test results came back. He eventually acknowledged striking her in the face during the encounter and placing his hands and arms near her neck and throat, while continuing to maintain the encounter was consensual.

Longin was initially arrested on August 27 on charges of Occupied Burglary with Battery and Attempted Murder without premeditation, tied to the surviving relative’s account of the strangulation attempt. Following an autopsy conducted the next day by Dr. Schmidt of the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office, which found evidence of extensive blunt force trauma and sexual assault, the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Based on the full investigation, Detective O’Leary’s affidavit establishes probable cause for two additional, more serious charges: second-degree murder, under Florida Statute 782.04(2), and sexual battery — a life felony, under Florida Statute 794.011(3).

Current Case Status

Court records from the Lee County Clerk of Courts show the case, State of Florida vs. Whycliff Longin, was formally opened on August 31, 2026, under case number 26-CF-017113, assigned to Circuit Judge Andrew P. Marcus. As of this report, no plea has been entered and no disposition has been recorded. Longin remains in custody at the Lee County Jail; bond has not been set on any of the charges. His next scheduled court appearance is September 28, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Lee County Justice Center in Fort Myers.

Consistent with standard practice in cases involving sexual assault and homicide victims, the names of both the surviving witness and the deceased victim have been withheld from the publicly available court documents reviewed for this report, and are not published here.

A Note on the Charges

The allegations described above reflect the contents of a sworn probable cause affidavit and represent the state’s case as filed; they are accusations, not proven facts. Whycliff Longin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sources: Lee County Sheriff’s Office booking records; Arrest/Notice to Appear and Probable Cause Statement, Case No. 26CF017113, filed with the Lee County Clerk of Courts; Lee County Clerk of Courts Records Inquiry (Case No. 362026CF017113000ACH).