Calls about bodies found along road linked to body in submerged car, Florida cops say

UPDATE: Gunshot victim Layla Danielle Silvernail died of her injuries at a hospital, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports. Three suspects have been arrested in the case: Robert Le’Andrew Robinson, Christopher De’l Atkins and Tahj Brewton, officials said.

The original story is below.

The discovery of a seriously wounded teen along a Florida road has been linked to two homicides, including one teen found in a submerged car, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Sixteen-year-old Layla Danielle Silvernail remains hospitalized, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

How the cases are related has not been released.

The investigation began at 10:52 p.m. Thursday, March 30, when callers led deputies to Silvernail along the side of SE 183rd Avenue Road outside of Ocklawaha, officials said. The area is about 60 miles northwest of Orlando.

“Layla was transported to a hospital and is in critical condition,” officials said.

On Friday morning, callers alerted deputies to another body near the intersection of SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court, officials said. The victim, a 17-year-old male, was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound at the scene.

His body was found in a dumpster, station WCJB reports.

The car was then discovered around 12:40 p.m. Saturday, April 1, near the intersection of Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace, the sheriff’s office says.

“Deputies located a vehicle partially submerged at the edge of a nearby body of water,” officials said. “After obtaining a search warrant for Layla’s vehicle, a search of her vehicle was conducted and a third victim was located. The 16-year-old female had also sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead.”

Identities of the two dead have not been released.

This story was originally published April 3, 2023 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Calls about bodies found along road linked to body in submerged car, Florida cops say."