Found Deceased DE - Cynthia Amalfitano, 63, no show at work, welfare check, veh , purse & phone found at home, Wilmington, 25 Sep 2023 *Gold Alert*

[Joe Friday]

Her obituary states she is survived by a former husband and many pets. I wonder if she made arrangements for her pets before she disappeared. What was her state of mind leading up to her disappearance?

"Cindy also loved animals and took care of her cats, fish, horses, and goats, but nothing brought her more joy than her two dogs, Vaughn and Jingles." She was found at a dog park, so were her dogs found near the scene?

LE has stated that Cynthia's death is suspicious and are continuing their investigation into her death.

I don't think Cynthia was planning on disappearing, therefore she likely never made any arrangements regarding any aspect of her life, such as who would care for her pets.

If Cynthia's death was thought to be related to a medical event she suffered I don't think LE would label her death as being suspicious so soon after her body was found. The fact that her personal items such as her purse and cell phone were left at home are troubling. It's not far from where Cynthia lived to where her body was found so I could see if she just went for a walk with her dogs she may not have taken her purse and also explains why her car was still at her house, but I don't know of any women that would leave her cell phone at home when leaving their home for any reason, unless they simply forgot it

JMO.

 

[Kapua]

If this doesn't turn out to be a suicide, I'm going to lean towards the perpetrator being someone Cynthia knew and her body was possibly dumped at the park. When ever personal items are left at the house, such as phone and purse, nine times out of ten it turns out to be a domestic incident.

JMO

I agree. Women don't typically leave their homes without a cell phone and house/car keys at a minimum, IMHO. I want to know if her dogs were with her and where she planned to go. How far is the park from her residence? I also want to know why the police are characterizing her disappearance as suspicious and are referring people to the Criminal Investigations Unit.

 

[Joe Friday]

I agree. Women don't typically leave their homes without a cell phone and house/car keys at a minimum, IMHO. I want to know if her dogs were with her and where she planned to go. How far is the park from her residence? I also want to know why the police are characterizing her disappearance as suspicious and are referring people to the Criminal Investigations Unit.

If Cynthia's manner of death turns out to be homicide and her dogs were found at home, that would be really telling as to if she knew her killer, since her body was found at a nearby Dog Park.

From Cynthia home to the park is a 3 minute drive by car and only 0.7 miles according to MapQuest. Link with map below:

https://www.mapquest.com/directions/list/1/from/us/de/wilmington/19808-2957/3400-birch-cir-39.72717,-75.69967/to/us/de/wilmington/19808-2816/3100-skyline-dr-39.72666,-75.69113

 

[Caring1]

October 3, 2023

WILMINGTON, De. - A Delaware man is facing murder charges after police found the body of his girlfriend in a parking lot near a local park. Stephen Heck, 66, was taken into custody Tuesday in connection to the homicide of Cynthia Amalfitano, whose body was found Sept. 26 near Carousel Park.

Delaware man charged with first-degree murder after girlfriend's body found near park

A Delaware man is facing murder charges after police found the body of his girlfriend in a parking lot near a local park.

www.fox29.com

 

[TDoc72]

Quick work! I’d love see to see the arrest paperwork though. Condolences for her loved ones & pets.

 

[bkgregg5]

I presumed something was up when Channel Six news was down the street at edge of the preschool grounds.

 

[bkgregg5]

Are we allowed to link her Facebook page?

 

[Kapua]

Quick work! I’d love see to see the arrest paperwork though. Condolences for her loved ones & pets.

Yes, congrats to the detectives who pieced this case together! Looking forward to discovering how they concluded that the boyfriend was arrest-worthy.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

October 3, 2023

WILMINGTON, De. - A Delaware man is facing murder charges after police found the body of his girlfriend in a parking lot near a local park. Stephen Heck, 66, was taken into custody Tuesday in connection to the homicide of Cynthia Amalfitano, whose body was found Sept. 26 near Carousel Park.

Delaware man charged with first-degree murder after girlfriend's body found near park

A Delaware man is facing murder charges after police found the body of his girlfriend in a parking lot near a local park.

www.fox29.com

He looks like he's from Delaware. MOO

 

[Sweetluv]

To the fellow Delawareans....if you already haven't, maybe check out the threads here for Mary Ann Knightly and Tina Faye Kemp.
Glad Cynthia's case was solved so quickly!

 

[Mary-Belle]

Any idea on motive?

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

Any idea on motive?

I believe it was domestic.

 

[swanniee11]

Obituary of Cynthia Ann Amalfitano | Pagano Funeral Home - Garnet Valley

Cynthia Ann Amalfitano, age 63, of Wilmington, DE passed away unexpectedly on September 26, 2023. Born to Richard Thomas and Barbara Gale Swanson Saienni in Wilmington, DE, she has resided there for many years, previously residing in Chadds Ford, PA and Claymont, DE. Cindy was a preschool...

paganofuneralhome.com

Her funeral is today,

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The documents also bring up the couple's tumultuous relationship, including a conversation a police investigator had with one of Amalfitano's relatives who was identified in court records as "W1."

"W1 noted that they had broken up as recent as a couple of weeks ago," investigators noted in the documents. "She advised that during the most recent incident [Amalfitano] had kicked Stephen out of her residence.

"W1 stated that [Amalfitano] recalled being pushed by Stephen during the incident and further added that she was afraid for her life."

Tumultuous relationship ends with woman killed, body left in Carousel Park: court papers

Court documents detail how New Castle County Police came to charge 66-year-old Stephen Heck with murdering his girlfriend.

www.delawareonline.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A New Castle County Superior Court judge earlier this year sentenced Stephen Heck to life in prison after the Wilmington man was found guilty of murdering Cynthia Amalfitano, the Delaware Department of Justice said on Feb. 5, 2025.

Boyfriend, 67, gets life in prison for murdering beloved Delaware preschool teacher

A 67-year-old Delaware man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, a beloved preschool teacher, in 2023.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com