Paul Rowles Named Prime Suspect on 25th Anniversary of Tiffany Sessions’ Disappearance

GAINESVILLE, FL—On the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of University of Florida student Tiffany Sessions, representatives from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), City of Gainesville, and Tiffany Sessions’ mother and father told members of the media that former Gainesville pizza delivery driver Paul Rowles, now deceased, is the prime suspect in her abduction and murder.

Sheriff Darnell spoke at a podium just yards from the wooded site overlooking Paynes Prairie where investigators have been searching for any sign of Sessions’ body. It is the same site where the body of Elizabeth Foster was found in 1992. DNA evidence matched Rowles to the Foster crime scene in 2012.

“Paul Rowles has a horrible history of violent crimes against women—murder, rape, kidnapping,” Sheriff Darnell said. “When he died, we seized evidence items from his cell, which led us to the point in this case where all indicators have pointed to him.”

FBI Jacksonville Field Office Special Agent in Charge Michelle S. Klimt expressed sympathy to the Sessions family and vowed to support the continued search.

“I want to assure you the community and the Sessions family that the FBI will remain vigilant in assisting Alachua County in finding her,” SAC Klimt said.

Sessions’ mother Hilary and father Pat recognized and expressed thanks to the many investigators who have and are currently working on the case. Hilary Sessions urged the media present at the conference to continue to tell their daughter’s story.

“We just need that little piece of information that somebody has,” she said. “It’s been a 25-year struggle, and it would be nice to be able to put her to rest after all these years.”

The case continues to be led by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and through the efforts of the Sessions family. Anyone with information on Tiffany Sessions’ disappearance or knowledge of Paul Rowles is urged to contact the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 955-1818 or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (904) 248-7000.

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