Detectives said the victim’s body was left outside a vacant apartment building and covered with cardboard.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A 34-year-old man is being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge after police said a woman was found dead near a dumpster behind a Fort Lauderdale apartment complex on Feb. 18, and investigators later tied him to the killing.
Fort Lauderdale homicide detectives identified the victim as Daneshia Heller, 30, and arrested Altavious Powell after investigators said evidence collected at the scene and later investigative work connected him to her death. The case drew heavy attention in the neighborhood because the body was found near homes and a school, and because online rumors quickly spread beyond the city.
Officers responded to a call just before 7:30 a.m. Feb. 18 in the 200 block of Northwest 15th Avenue, where they found Heller’s body near a dumpster behind a row of small apartment buildings. Police pronounced her dead at the scene. A television helicopter hovered as detectives and uniformed officers secured the area, and neighbors gathered behind police tape to watch the investigation unfold.
Detectives said they later determined the death was a homicide and began tracking leads from the neighborhood, tips and digital evidence. Homicide Sgt. Don Geiger said investigators were still working to confirm a motive and were reviewing “cell phone data, text messages, and things like that” as they built a timeline of Heller’s final hours. In the days after the body was found, residents told reporters they worried about people entering empty units nearby and said they had seen broken locks and shattered glass close to where police worked.
Investigators said they arrested Powell on Thursday, Feb. 19, initially on charges unrelated to Heller’s death, then identified him as a suspect in the killing through their investigative work. Geiger said detectives later linked Powell to the scene with DNA evidence. Investigators said they believe the killing happened inside a vacant apartment and that the victim’s body was later moved outside and covered with cardboard near the dumpster.
In court filings described by local media, investigators said an anonymous tipster told detectives that Powell confessed to the killing. Police have not publicly described the relationship, if any, between Powell and Heller, and detectives said that part of the case remained unclear as they continued interviews and reviewed records. Authorities have also not released a cause of death, saying details would come through the medical examiner’s work and the ongoing investigation.
Family members described Heller as a loving, caring woman and said they were struggling with how she was found. Her father, David Heller, told reporters he was shaken by the way the body was left. “He left her like she was nothing, and I can’t stomach it,” he said. Heller’s aunt, Temekia Connor, questioned why the killing happened, saying the family did not know the suspect. Neighbors also described fear and anger, with one resident saying the discovery “shaken up our neighborhood.”
As detectives announced the arrest, police also moved to address a wave of online rumors that suggested a serial killer was targeting women in the area. Geiger said investigators had no evidence tying Heller’s death to other killings and warned that false posts can put innocent people at risk when they include descriptions of vehicles or individuals who are not involved. “We do not have a serial killer that we are looking at in the city of Fort Lauderdale,” Geiger said during a Tuesday news conference.
The case is still active as Powell faces a first-degree murder charge and investigators continue to gather records, test evidence and interview witnesses. A public defender assigned to Powell filed a motion to withdraw because of a prior connection to Heller, and a hearing on that request was scheduled for Wednesday. Police said additional updates would depend on court proceedings and the pace of the investigation.
Author note: Last updated February 25, 2026.