Early Monday morning in Pensacola, the quiet routine of a small business was shattered by a violent act that left a community reeling. Staff at AA Top Shop, located on the 4000 block of North Davis Highway, arrived for work and made the horrifying discovery of 57-year-old Dean Edward Chambers lying unresponsive inside an office space after multiple stab wounds.
The morning silence was broken when an employee, unlocking the business just after 7 a.m., found Chambers. Emergency medical responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Investigators with the Pensacola Police Department (PPD) arrived shortly thereafter, identifying his death as a homicide.
Chambers was known to the business — he leased space at AA Top Shop and was familiar to the staff. It appears he may have been inside the building when the attack occurred or had entered shortly before. Officers canvassed the scene, interviewed employees, and combed the area for surveillance footage, but as of now no suspect has been identified and the motive remains unclear.
PPD officials say the victim had suffered multiple stab wounds, which led to investigators immediately treating the case as a homicide rather than an accidental death. The building’s surroundings were taped off for several hours, and forensic teams processed the office space for clues.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, authorities have released scant details about how Chambers came to be in that office at that time or the sequence of events leading up to his death. They have not yet confirmed whether the killing was targeted or random. The lack of a suspect has left the community uneasy.
In a press release, PPD urged anyone who might have been in the area early Monday morning — particularly anyone who noticed unusual activity around the 4000 block of North Davis Highway — to contact them at 850-435-1900 or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
For now, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are left grappling with shock and sadness. A place once familiar and routine has been transformed into a crime scene. As investigations continue, residents await answers—and hope for closure—in the wake of this tragic loss.