28-year-old man arrested in connection with Lehigh Acres homicide, sheriff says

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)— A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a homicide this week in Lehigh Acres.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced the arrest of Whycliff Longin on Friday during a news conference. Longin was booked into the Lee County Jail Wednesday night.

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Longin faces charges of homicide — murder, dangerous depraved mind without premeditation — and burglary with assault or battery, according to booking records.

The sheriff's office said Longin is a Haitian national who came to the United States seeking asylum in 2024. A detainer has been placed on Longin by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and federal authorities are reviewing his immigration status the agency added.

The sheriff's office described the incident as a “brutal attack.”

The incident happened shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday. Marceno said one woman reported that Longin tried to strangle her.

The woman was able to break free, leave the home and call police, Marceno said. Longin then fled through a back door into a neighboring apartment complex, according to the sheriff.

Deputies conducted a safety sweep and found a second woman dead inside a bedroom, Marceno said. Investigators determined she had suffered blunt force trauma.

The sheriff's office has not publicly identified the woman who died. Her family previously identified her as Amadette Longin and described her as a loving mother, sister and aunt who was very close with her family.

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Marceno said the case involved domestic violence. He said Longin has no known criminal history.

Additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues, according to Marceno.