A Florida woman is facing a first-degree murder charge after authorities say she shot her boyfriend in their Clearwater home, tried to clean up the scene, and even showered before deputies arrived — only to open the door with blood still on her face.
Bloody Footprints
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call of shots fired shortly after 1 a.m. on August 19. A neighbor told investigators they heard a loud noise and then a woman’s voice shout, “I have a gun.” When deputies knocked on the door of the Illinois Road residence, 38-year-old Amanda Tenney answered. According to a probable cause affidavit, Tenney looked as if she had just stepped out of the shower. But the attempt to appear clean fell apart almost instantly: deputies noted streaks of blood on her face, legs, and feet. Inside the house, investigators followed bloody footprints that led them to the bedroom, where 60-year-old Patrick Denney was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
Bullet Holes Around The Neighborhood
George E. Staley Jr., a special agent with BCI, holds up a 40-caliber Smith & Wesson cartridge that was found on the bed near where the body of Kenneth Rhoden was found in his trailer on Left Fork Road in Rarden, Ohio. George Wagner IV is on trial in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio. Eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death at four different locations on April 21-22, 2016. Wagner’s brother Jake Wagner and mom, Angela Wagner, have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced. George’s dad, George “Billy” Wagner III is expected to go on trial in 2023. Week Three Of Testimony In Pike County Trial
The alleged murder weapon, a .45 caliber Smith & Wesson, was recovered in another room. Detectives also found evidence the shooting spilled beyond the walls of the couple’s home. Bullet holes pierced a neighbor’s fence and window, and investigators retrieved a projectile from inside that home. Tenney, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, was initially arrested on lesser charges — possession of a firearm by a felon and shooting into a dwelling. On Tuesday, prosecutors escalated the case, charging her with first-degree murder. Tenney has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bond in the Pinellas County Jail.
No Motive
Investigators have not publicly shared a motive. The affidavit notes Tenney admitted she had picked up a gun and carried it into the backyard, but she denied firing it. The effort to explain away her presence with the weapon, alongside her attempt to clean up before deputies arrived, are now central details in a case that points to both desperation and inevitability.
A Completely Senseless Crime
Denney’s obituary paints a picture of a man deeply embedded in his community. The owner of Missouri Collision and Paint in Clearwater, he was remembered for his generosity and his love of racing sports cars, offshore fishing, and caring for his dogs. “Outside of work, Pat enjoyed spending time with his beloved dogs, racing sports cars, offshore fishing, and lending a helping hand to his friends and neighbors,” it read.
