Search continues for killer in fatal shooting at Longboat Key resort

The search for the killer responsible for the fatal shooting of two employees at the Zota Beach Resort on Longboat Key continues.

At about 2:45 a.m. Friday, security guard Kevin Carter, 51, of Bradenton, and night front desk manager Timothy Hurley, 59, of Sarasota, were shot dead during an armed robbery at the Zota Beach Resort, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The two employees were approached during a robbery and shot to death. Police did not receive a 911 call until 3:30 a.m. after the victims were found by a guest.

Rewards now total up to $19,000 for any information leading to an arrest in the case, according to Police Chief Peter Cumming.

“Our investigative team are following up some promising leads,” Cumming said Saturday evening. “We have some promising leads. We won’t be done until we catch the killer responsible.”

On Saturday, the Westin hotel group agreed to donate an additional $1,000 to the reward being offered, and Cumming said he anticipated contributions to continue at the beginning of the week if an arrest isn’t made beforehand.

Detectives will be working through the weekend, as the multi-agency Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit works to identify and arrest suspects in the fatal shooting at the Zota Beach Resort and the fatal shooting in a Bayshore Gardens home early Saturday that left a victim, Rodney Williams, and a suspect, Keith Lamar Jones, dead.

Detectives are also working to determine if Andres Bryant, whose body was found alongside a road in Sarasota, is the second suspect in that shooting. Up to two suspects remain at large.

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Search continues for killer in fatal shooting at Longboat Key resort."