Perry was Kelly Rothwell’s boyfriend and detectives in Pinellas County say he is their prime suspect in her disappearance.

David Perry has been placed under arrest in New York on unrelated charges. And as Perry sits in jail, a state police car sits in front of his house in western Elmira.

That state police officer’s colleagues were busy inside the house Monday. Armed with a search warrant, investigators spent more than three hours at the house.

They left carrying four bags of evidence. They were filled mostly with paperwork; one envelope was marked “Receipts 2011.”

None of this is directly related to the disappearance of Kelly Rothwell.

Kelly Rothwell

She’s the Indian Rocks Beach police cadet who vanished last year after telling her best friend she was going to break up with Perry, her boyfriend.

Perry is locked up on charges he stole from the State of New York by getting disability payments he didn’t qualify for.

Investigators said the search focused purely on those charges.

During the search, a police dog and K-9 officer were behind the house. The police spokesman would not say why the dog was used.

Police entered Perry’s detached garage, got into his Honda Civic, and backed it up onto his gravel driveway for further searching.

Police could be heard hammering or pounding something inside the garage. The police had no comment about the sound.

What if officers searching for financial information stumble onto some evidence relating to Kelly Rothwell’s disappearance?

That wouldn’t necessarily be all good news. Officers would likely have to go get a new warrant to seize that evidence.

And if a judge rules that the new evidence was found in a way that’s illegal or unfair, he or she can ban that evidence from being used against Perry in court.

Police say they may be back at Perry’s home Tuesday.

He’s currently being held in a county jail in New York. If he pays his $25,000 bail amount, a veteran reporter in the area says he’d likely be transferred immediately to a jail in a different county where his bail has been already revoked.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/249977/250/Missing-Cadet-Case-Suspects-home-searched

Grayson Kamm, 10 News

David Perry

April 09, 2012 @ 05:00PM

Police officers have returned to the New York state home of the main person of interest in the disappearance of police cadet Kelly Rothwell.

New York’s WENY TV reported officers executed a search warrant on David Perry’s home and a car in the home’s driveway.

WETM reported Perry was in court Monday and his bail was reduced from $100,000 to $25,000. Perry remains in the Steuben County Jail on a larceny charge unrelated to Rothwell’s case.

The law enforcement presence on the property was not related to Rothwell, WETM reported. Pinellas County Sheriff’s officials were unaware of the search warrant and had no comment.

Perry arrested in March on unrelated charge

Perry was arrested in New York state on a larceny charge unrelated to Rothwell’s case in March.

His arrest came nearly a year to the day after Rothwell went missing from her Indian Rocks Beach home.

Perry has refused to cooperate with investigators and there has never been enough evidence to charge him.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said March 13 he was doubtful the arrest in New York would be enough pressure to make Perry give up information he may have had on Rothwell.

“I would like to hope that it will bring us some more information on our case, but I’m not optimistic,” he said. “What’s he gonna do? Snitch on himself?”

Gualtieri said the sheriff’s office was in contact with New York authorities, who said they are aware that Perry is suspected of killing Rothwell.

No developments relating Rothwell’s case to the arrest have been announced by New York authorities or Pinellas County Sheriff’s officials.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/4/9/officers_return_to_h/

SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. — New York State Police executed a search warrant Monday at the home of a Chemung County man who remains the key suspect in the search for a missing Florida woman.

Police searched the West Elmira home of David Perry as part of the investigation into Perry receiving retirement benefits he was not entitled too.

Just last month, Perry was arrested for receiving about $340,000 in New York State disability retirement benefits that from 2005 to 2012.

Police removed various items from his home and said authorities could return Tuesday to continue their search.

Perry is the ex-boyfriend and suspect in the case of Kelly Rothwell, who has been missing from her Florida home for more than a year, but police say the search had nothing to do with that case.

Perry was also in Steuben County Court Monday for a bail hearing on the grand larceny charges. His bail was lowered from $100,000 cash to $25,000.

The next court date has not yet been set.

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/579958/bail-lowered-for-david-perry/

03/13/20

Family and friends of missing Florida police cadet Kelly Rothwell marked the one-year anniversary of her still-unsolved disappearance on Monday.

Rothwell’s best friend, Donna Scharrett, did not mince words during a press conference at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Kelly Rothwell is dead, and her body is out there. It’s out there dumped like a piece of trash. She doesn’t deserve that. … That’s not where she needs to be,” Scharrett said.

According to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Rothwell’s case remains a top priority.

“We’re gonna keep going. We’ll never stop,” Gualtieri said. “We’ll keep going until we find Kelly, whether it’s tomorrow, a week, a month, a year or 10 years.”

There has been no arrest in the case.

Rothwell, 35, was last seen on March 12, 2011, when she left a restaurant in Clearwater, Fla., with Scharrett.

“We had lunch together at Chili’s restaurant and about 3:30 p.m. said goodbye in the parking lot,” Scharrett told The Huffington Post. “That’s the last time anyone heard [from] her.”

Rothwell had recently left a hotel job to enroll in the Pinellas Police Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla. She was planning to break up with longtime boyfriend David Perry, according to Scharrett, who described him as “controlling.”

Speaking with TV host Nancy Grace in March 2011, Ken Williamson, a neighbor who lives below the couple’s condo, said his wife heard a series of loud noises coming from above that afternoon.

“Mary, my wife, was inside at the time,” Williamson said. “It was probably around — oh, sometime around 4:00 on the 12th, and she heard a series of loud thuds up above the ceiling where our bedroom is directly below their master bedroom. And somebody, like, threw something heavy on the floor three or four times. And then it got real quiet.”

A short time after that, Williamson said, they heard somebody upstairs vacuuming.

Scharrett called the sheriff’s office on March 13 and asked deputies to check on Rothwell after mutual friends told her Rothwell had failed to show up for a planned get-together. When deputies arrived at the condo, there was no sign of the couple and both their cars were gone. Later that day, they found Rothwell’s green 2007 Subaru Outback on a street about two miles south of her home.

Detectives later discovered that Perry, a 47-year-old retired corrections officer, had left Florida for New York. He has since repeatedly ignored requests to be interviewed, the sheriff’s office said.

In June 2011, authorities in Florida named Perry a suspect in Rothwell’s disappearance. Two months later Perry married a woman he had met online. The couple divorced in November. In the interim, Perry was arraigned on unrelated insurance fraud and grand larceny charges in Elmira, N.Y.

Investigators have conducted multiple searches for Rothwell, but to date they have been unable to locate any sign of her.

“Kelly’s remains could be anywhere from Indian Rocks Beach to New York,” Gualtieri said. “It really is looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Rothwell’s family is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone who has information leading to her whereabouts. On Monday, Gualtieri announced his department would match the amount with confiscated drug money, bringing the total to $50,000.

“It’s so important to her family and friends that there be some kind of resolution,” Gualtieri said. “We want closure for the family.”

Scharrett echoed the sheriff’s statement.

“The only thing I hope for — from Day 1 — is that we find Kelly’s remains and get them back to her mother,” Scharrett said. “I know justice will be done.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/13/kelly-rothwell-missing-one-year-florida_n_1342457.html

David Perry's booking photo, taken after his arrest in New York for insurance fraud and grand larceny.

Mar 13, 2012

Tampa, Florida -  Just one day after the one-year anniversary of Kelly Rothwell’s death, her ex-boyfriend David Perry, the prime suspect in her disappearance, has been arrested in upstate New York on charges of grand larceny.

Perry is currently in custody at New York State police headquarters.

Perry is a former state prison guard accused of faking an injury to receive worker’s compensation benefits.

He is also accused of murdering his girlfriend one year ago at their Indian Rocks Beach condo.

The Pinellas County Sheriff announced Monday that he was adding an additional $25,000 to the current reward put forth by the Rothwell family of $25,000. The grand total now is $50,000 for anyone who can locate Kelly’s body.

Kelly was at the top of her class as a police cadet at Pinellas Police Academy at the Allstate Center in St. Petersburg.

Friends say she was planning to end a volatile relationship with Perry.

Her friends and family are desperately waiting for answers.

Where is Kelly Rothwell and what happened to her?

Images from a security camera at a Pinellas County Publix show what may be the last pictures of Rothwell as she wrapped up a shopping trip with her best friend, Donna Scharrett.

Scharrett said Rothwell was heading to the Indian Rocks Beach condo she shared with David Perry to end their relationship.

Kelly planned to move out and leave Perry.  No one has ever seen her alive since.

The next day, on March 12, Scharrett reported her best friend missing.

When sheriff’s deputies went to Rothwell’s Indian Rocks Beach condo for a welfare check, nobody was home and both cars were gone.

Deputies later found Rothwell’s car about two miles away from her condo.

Rothwell was no where to be found.

From that day, Rothwell’s loved ones haven’t stopped searching.

“You’re not going to find somebody if you just stay home.  You have to look, you have to start somewhere and you have to eliminate, you have to eliminate space and we have to go through every space available here in this county and the next county,” Scharrett told 10 News on Saturday, during a fundraiser for their search efforts.

Detectives named David Perry their prime suspect last year due his refusal to cooperate, his bizarre behavior and a new relationship with woman shortly after Rothwell went missing.

The night Rothwell was reported missing, detectives say Perry fled to his hometown of Elmira, New York. His cell phone was last used within hours of Kelly’s disappearance.  Detectives narrowed it down to the location of State Road 52 and I-75.

http://origin.wtsp.com/news/breaking/article/244414/20/BREAKING-NEWS-Missing-cadets-ex-arrested-in-New-York

March 12, 2012

ELMIRA, NY (WENY-TV)—Where is Kelly Rothwell and what happened to her?–-that’s what police, family and friends of Kelly Rothwell want to know. They say, one person, David Perry, knows the answer to those questions. Police are now offering more money for information in Kellys disappearance.

Kellys family has put up $25,000 and now the Pinellas County, Florida sheriff’s department has matched that amount.

They hope the increased reward encourages, somebody to come forward with more information.

“Thats what we need now. We need information. Please everybody, come forward. Make our phones ring off the hook, says Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office.

Its a call for help on the anniversary of Kelly Rothwell’s disappearance. Rothwell went missing from the Tampa Bay area apartment she was sharing with her boyfriend, David Perry last march.

The night she disappeared, Rothwell told her best friend, Donna Scharett, she was going to break up with Perry. Scharett was the second to last person to see Kelly.

The last person was David Perry – who returned to Elmira the next day.

Her body is out there. Dumped like a piece of trash and she doesn’t deserve that. Just like no one here would deserve that. Thats not where she needs to be,says Donna Scharrett, Kellys best friend.

David Perry is the prime suspect in Kellys disappearance. Since last march, he remarried a woman whom he met on Craiglist, who recently filed for divorce.

He then tried to sell his West Church Street home. Hes also charged with insurance fraud and is not allowed to leave New York State.

Police say Perry refuses to cooperate.

Everybody out there. Dont think twice about calling us. Even if it’s the smallest thing,says Sheriff Gualtieri

If you can help, give the Pinellas County Sheriff a call at 727-582-6200.

Or CUE Center For Missing Persons 24 Hour Tip Line- (910) 232-1687
http://www.ncmissingpersons.org

Or you can submit a confidential tip on Kelly Rothwell’s website
http://helpfindkellyrothwell.com/

All proceeds will benefit the Kelly Rothwell Search fund. Kelly has been missing since 3/12/2011. Please join us in our mission to Bring Kelly Home.

Saturday, March 10, 2012
12:30pm until 8:30pm

View Map · Get Directions

If you are unable to attend, donations can also be made at:
www.wix.com/bringkellyhome/today
 www.ncmissingpersons.org/kelly-rothwell

All items for Sale

Re-usable bags, $4.00 each

Team Kelly shirts, $10.00 each

Posted: 12/31/2011

ST. PETERSBURG – Volunteers spent the day combing through thick brush off Feather Sound searching for clues that may lead to missing St. Petersburg Police cadet Kelly Rothwell.

“I want them to ask me about it so I can tell them about Kelly Rothwell and how she was just take away from us,” said Donna Scharrett, Rothwell’s best friend.

Search vests match the orange bracelet on Donna ‘s wrist that says “Bring Kelly Rothwell home”.

Despite no new information on Rothwell’s whereabouts, she still holds out hope for finding something, anything that will help put this 10-month-old case to rest.

“You come out here looking forward to a result that you really don’t want but you know that you have to have it,” Scharrett added.

“I do not believe you can find anyone waiting for information to come in,” said Monica Casion, the founder of the Cue Center for Missing Persons.

Her non-profit group supplied the 11 search and recovery teams for today’s search. Law enforcement was not involved.

Casion has led the Cue Center out of North Carolina for 17 years.

“We try to keep in that concept that every search is successful because your eliminating space because some days you don’t find anything,” she explained.

Casion said the plan is to eventually search every inch of Pinellas County to help find clues on her disappearance. This weekend they are searching several different areas.

Earlier this year, Pinellas detectives named Rothwell’s boyfriend David Perry, a suspect. Scharrett said her best friend had been trying to break up with him.

Perry moved to New York, and detectives have said he isn’t cooperating with their investigation.

“This is the only way we will find Kelly,” said Scharrett.

Her hope rests in the paws of 4-legged searchers in orange vests.

“We have no choice this is what has to happen to bring Kelly home,” she said.

A Pinellas Sheriff’s Official said they are still investigating Rothwell’s disappearance but had no new information on the case.