BSO detectives finally arrest suspect in connection with the body found floating in Dania Beach canal in 2023

Broward County, Florida – Nearly a year after a grim discovery in a Dania Beach canal shook the community, detectives from the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) have made a major breakthrough. Authorities have arrested 35-year-old Shem Sherrod in connection with the murder of Christopher A. Patterson, whose body was found floating in the water last November.

The investigation began on the morning of Friday, November 1, 2023, when Broward County Regional Communications received a call just after 11 a.m. about a body spotted in a canal near the 4500 block of Southwest 43rd Terrace. Responding swiftly, deputies from BSO’s Dania Beach District and members of the BSO Dive Team arrived on the scene and recovered the body of an adult male.

Shortly after, detectives with BSO’s Homicide Unit arrived to take over the case. The victim was soon identified as Christopher Patterson. While the immediate circumstances of his death were unclear, detectives began piecing together what had happened. Their investigation stretched across several months, filled with extensive fieldwork, witness interviews, and evidence analysis.

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“BSO’s Homicide Unit detectives never gave up on this case,” officials said.

After months of combing through leads and evidence, investigators identified Sherrod as the prime suspect. According to the BSO, the murder is believed to have taken place near a body of water located beneath a bridge at 4501 S. State Road 7 in Davie—just a short drive from where the body was ultimately discovered.

On Wednesday, April 9, law enforcement officers arrested Sherrod. He was transported to the BSO Main Jail, where he now faces serious charges: one count of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery.

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Details surrounding the motive or what may have led up to the deadly encounter have not yet been disclosed, and officials have not stated whether the two men knew each other prior to the incident. However, the arrest marks a significant step forward in delivering justice for Patterson and his loved ones.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional developments in the case. “The investigation is still ongoing,” BSO confirmed.

As the legal process begins for Sherrod, the arrest brings a sense of closure to a case that has remained open for nearly a year. For the community and the investigators who worked tirelessly on it, the recent breakthrough serves as a reminder that persistence can eventually bring answers—even in the most difficult of cases.