Dale Eric Floren, a 56-year-old White/Caucasian man from Orlando, was killed on the night of April 14, 2017, after arriving at the Florida Mall for construction work. Floren was working as a construction worker and went to the mall shortly after it had closed to the public. At about 10:03 p.m., authorities were called to the northeast portion of the mall parking lot, an area being used to store equipment and materials for ongoing construction. Floren had been both shot and stabbed.
Orange County Fire Rescue personnel treated him at the scene before transporting him to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The attack appeared to have occurred while Floren was simply reporting for work, leaving investigators with few immediate answers about why he had been targeted. The Orange County Sheriff's Office initially said there was no description of any possible attacker or getaway vehicle and did not publicly announce a motive. Floren had been born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, on June 30, 1960, and was living in Orlando at the time of his death. His obituary described a family that included his mother, two brothers and a sister, while coworkers remembered him as a skilled carpenter and hard worker.
The investigation produced a potentially important development about six weeks after the killing. On May 25, 2017, investigators released surveillance footage and an image of a person of interest they hoped the public could identify. The individual was shown wearing dark clothing and a hooded garment and had visited an ATM at a convenience store near the scene of the homicide. Authorities were careful not to publicly identify that individual as Floren's killer; instead, investigators said the person might have information that could help them understand what happened. Floren's nephew, Brandon Floren, appealed for justice, emphasizing that his uncle had merely been doing his job when he was killed. Investigators still had not publicly disclosed a motive.
A $5,000 Crimeline reward was offered for information leading investigators to whoever was responsible. Despite the release of the surveillance evidence and the public appeal for tips, publicly available reporting does not identify the person of interest by name or document an arrest, criminal charge, trial, or conviction connected to Floren's killing. The available record therefore leaves the homicide unresolved publicly, with the identity and motive of the person or persons responsible remaining unknown.
