A vibrant and “bubbly” 16-year-old girl from Florida, Abbriella Elliott, was brutally murdered — just two weeks after celebrating her birthday — and authorities say her ex-boyfriend, also 16, carried out the killing with a bladed weapon before dumping her body in a nature preserve.
The suspect, Cameron Cubel, was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges last week in connection with Abbriella’s death. Prosecutors allege Cubel “unlawfully and from a premeditated design” inflicted multiple sharp force injuries that led to the teen’s death, according to a statement from the State Attorney’s Office released April 17.
Abbriella’s body was found March 27 at Cypress Lake Preserve in Hernando County. Prosecutors have confirmed that Cubel will be tried as an adult and currently remains held without bond at a juvenile detention facility. He will later be transferred to face trial in adult court.
At a press conference held shortly after the discovery, Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis described the case as “nothing short of very violent,” citing a deeply troubling relationship history between the two teens.
“There was a lot of passion and a lot of violence involved in the particular death,” Nienhuis said. “We were relatively confident that it wasn’t a random act.”
Officials revealed that Abbriella had snuck out early in the morning to meet Cubel, who is now accused of murdering her during that encounter. State Attorney Bill Gladson said the relationship was “dysfunctional” and urged parents to be vigilant about the warning signs of controlling or abusive behavior in their children’s relationships.
“If you see them going down the path where there’s a boyfriend that’s extremely jealous or possessive, or snooping around — be aware,” Gladson advised.
Describing the emotional weight of the case, Gladson added: “Anytime there’s a homicide, it’s terrible. But when it happens to a child — and that’s what we’re talking about here — it’s particularly tragic.”
Abbriella’s family remembered her as a smart, beautiful, and always smiling young girl. A GoFundMe set up in her memory describes her as “a bubbly outgoing little girl” who was “always smiling.”
If convicted, Cubel could face life in prison.