Oh darnUh oh.
Venice Police Department
At approximately 11:45 a.m. today, Saturday, Oct. 10, divers with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and North Port PD, assisted by the FWC, Venice PD and Sarasota K9 Search and Rescue, located a green Nissan Xterra in a large pond in the Toscana Isles subdivision in Venice, close to Knights Trail. Inside the vehicle was a deceased female, believed to be that of Tracey Lynn Rieker, 44, missing from her Venice home since Sept. 30. Authorities are in the process of recovering the vehicle at this time. The case is being treated as a traffic homicide. An investigation continues to determine Rieker’s cause of death. As more information becomes available it will be released by VPD. There will be no press conference at this time.
Venice Police Department
Edit a few hours ago.
Neighbor was walking, saw tracks, saw submerged vehicle, called.
It’s all very oddI’m also local to this area. This has been very well publicized around here, and they’ve been looking for Tracey for like 10 days. She was found pretty much around the corner from her house. Neighbors just now noticed tracks? That doesn’t seem right.
I’m local to this area and I want to point out this the police here get VERY few homicides. We will go many years without a homicide. This may not be that but it’s just letting you know. Sarasota sees these kinds of cases but not Venice.
I've never heard the term vehicular homicide or traffic homicide.
I've never heard the term vehicular homicide or traffic homicide.
but if its near her home surely she would be very familiar with the road, the water ways etc.We had a missing person case a few years back where a young man drove off the side of the road into a body of water and died. It was late, the roads were dark, he was tired and he just veered off into the water. Same thing, some one noticed the track marks and broken guard rail and we found him. We don't have a lot of street lights here, especially in areas that are new, or on back roads. If she left at 2 am in the dark for what ever reason, it is possible she just misjudged the turn, road, what ever and drove into the pond.
Given the quick announcement, I'd say there is most likely visible evidence on the exterior of her vehicle that she was rammed off the road.Exactly what I was thinking. I wonder if she was found in another part of the car (not the drivers seat).
Finally. I think someone made a big mistake and instead of saying a traffic accident resulting in death, they used the word homicide. I hope there's a more thorough explanation soon, the family must be beside themselves.They removed the "homicide" tag and switched to the accident involving death.