It is interesting to hear contradictory information from the PBSO specialist and the former FBI agent. The PBSO says there's a lot of DNA, and that there's mixed DNA. They had enough to get a DNA profile, but haven't matched it to anyone. The former FBI agent says there's no DNA. I question the profile he came up with. It does not match the description provided by the living victims.
I think the PBSO has always been the most skilled, experienced and conscientious agency on this case. It is the bigger agency with more resources.
The Boca Raton police spent a lot of their energy trying to pin the murder on Gorenberg's husband and son. By focusing on the family for so long, they bungled the opportunity to find the perpetrator. They kept the 2nd incident, with the living victims, a secret from the public until the local press uncovered it. Over the years there have been other crimes at this mall, but I think the perpetrators have been caught
I think of these crimes every time I pass this mall, as I am local. I've been inside the mall a few times, and I'm always hyper alert. I carry concealed, and generally avoid this mall unless I know there's something unique that I need in it.
I remember we are both local.
I casually know Matt Duggan but have never asked him about this case, I did not know he worked on this one until I saw the commercials for this special. I've also spoken w Scott Hanley a number of times about the Joy Neubauer case. I think BRPD does a good job and are well funded for a city PD.
This case got so much attention all sorts of agencies swooped in and I am sure there were some interagency conflicts.
I caught the DNA mixup as well. I can only assume the FBI agent meant that there were no matches for the DNA they had. Or perhaps he was talking about the Bochicchio case?
John McMahon, the artist who did the Boca Mall Murder suspect sketch suspected the person who killed Randi Gorenberg and abducted the Jane Doe and her son was Shawn LaBeet. He was a bad dude who is suspected of killing a cop in Broward. He was killed in a shootout with Miami Dade police before the Bochicchio murders. He actually interviewed the Jane Doe and came up with the sketch with her input. He told me she was describing a Latin looking man, Shawn LaBeet was a light skinned black man. If you look at John's sketch and a picture of LaBeet, they do look very similar and same skin tone.
John told me Jane Doe was a strong woman and basically talked her way out of being murdered. She guilted the perp into letting her and her son go after she gave him the money from the ATM.
Of course, Jane Doe and the Bochicchios were secured in a similar manner. So one would suspect the same perp abducted them, and it couldn't have been LaBeet since he was dead by the time of the Bochicchio murders.
They spent a lot of time discussing the similarities in the cases. What they left out were the differences in the cases. Was it the same gun that killed Gorenberg and the Bochicchios? They didn't comment on DNA in the Bochicchio case. I think they were saying the perp took precautions to not leave DNA in that case. So you have the PBSO forensic detective (Sikorsky) talking about how impossible it is to not leave DNA but then they don't discuss DNA in one of the cases at all. What were the other differences? They brought up there were differences and PBSO detective Springer discussed the similarities and differences but I suspect there are more. JMO
Side note we were eating dinner and cleaning up while this was on so we were definitely distracted.
I am in Wellington so equidistant from this mall and the Gardens mall. My preference is generally Gardens since I like PBG better than Boca. The people up there are nicer than in snarky old Boca. My office is also off PGA.