FL FL - Vivian Kendrick, 27, Winter Haven, 23 Oct 1975

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Case File from the Sheriff's Department:

On 10/23/75 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. the victim, a housewife, was killed inside her home in Auburndale. The victim was shot in the neck and face and may have been sexually assaulted. She was found lying on the floor of the den with her infant child next to her. The child was unharmed.

Prior to Vivian's murder, the family home was burglarized twice. The first time, a teenage boy was arrested for the crime although it's not clear if he was convicted. The second time, a 31 year old man was charged and he was sent to prison. The theory that investigators have is that Vivian was at home when her house was being burglarized for a third time. She probably heard noises so she carried a gun out to confront the intruder. The intruder(s) most likely overpowered her, took the gun and shot her. After that, her car was stolen and later recovered about nine miles away. The gun and other items taken have never been recovered. Forty years later, her murder remains unsolved.

Husband: Pain of wife's unsolved slaying still 'fresh as it was 40 years ago'

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has not received any recent tips or new information on the case, so none of its three cold case detectives are actively investigating the murder, deputies said.

Lynn does not have much hope that his first wife's slaying will be solved, especially since so much time has passed.

Even after all these years later, it's still hard.

"You never forget or get over it," Lynn said. "It's always in the background of everything I do and as soon as I start talking about it, it's just as fresh as it was 40 years ago."

 

[PayrollNerd]

The car looks like it is in rural area and reasonably well hidden. I wonder how far out of town it was located. How did the driver get back to town? Did he hitchhike?

Photos: Vivian Kendrick cold case

 

[Richard]

Vivian Kendrick, 27
Murdered in her home 23 October 1975

 

[PayrollNerd]

What was in their home that it was so enticing to 3 burglaries? Someone knows something. I wonder if there is DNA evidence that has been preserved well enough to solve this case.

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping