SAFETY HARBOR - A 32-year-old mother who was severely beaten last week as she returned home from dinner with her two young sons died in a hospital from her wounds Sunday afternoon, Pinellas sheriff's officials said.
Deputies are still searching for the man who attacked Niccole Halpin Thursday in her Clearview Drive home.
"We believe it was not random," said Pinellas Sheriff's Office spokesman Mac McMullen on Sunday. "It's an open investigation that is now a homicide investigation."
Halpin called her boyfriend at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday after returning from dinner with her two sons, 7 and 9. As they spoke, Halpin suddenly screamed and went off the line, Pinellas sheriff's officials said.
When deputies arrived, they found Halpin in a bedroom unconscious.
Officials said Halpin's children hid in another bedroom during the attack and were not injured. They are being cared for by family members.
Anyone with information about the attack in Safety Harbor on Thursday night is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.
