BREAKING: Key West attorney Cara Higgins dies
Higgins garnered international media attention for her involvement in the Treehouse Murders on Stock Island and was active in local civic groups.
Prominent Key West attorney and civic leader, Cara Higgins, who garnered international attention for her role in the Treehouse Murders case, passed away in her sleep and was found Saturday morning, Sept. 20.
Foul play was not suspected, and details of the cause were not yet known.
Higgins remained an active member of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Board of Directors at the time of her passing, first appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2015.
Higgins represented suspect Tyrone Tucker in the high-profile Treehouse case and later advised him as he represented himself pro bono, ultimately leading to a mistrial, with the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office declining to pursue further prosecution.
Her involvement, both formally and informally, drew attention as far away as Europe and highlighted her reputation as a skilled and unflinching trial attorney.
A skilled trial attorney and certified mediator, Higgins practiced law for more than 20 years, trying dozens of state and federal cases and arguing appeals before the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Her wide-ranging practice included complex civil litigation, criminal defense, family law, probate, regulatory matters, construction disputes, animal law, and real estate.
Higgins earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from West Virginia University in 1995 and a law degree from Villanova University School of Law in 1998. She clerked in the Family Division of the Superior Court in Trenton, N.J., before joining the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, where she tried major felony cases and was recognized as Distinguished Assistant Prosecutor of the Year in 2002.
In the Keys, Higgins was active in leadership roles, serving three terms on the Florida Bar Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division, as president of the Monroe County Bar Association, and as president of the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce in 2011. She was also involved in the Rotary Club, the Key West Military Affairs Committee, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monroe County, and other civic organizations.
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