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Posts Tagged ‘Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’

David Perry, suspect in Kelly Rothwell police cadet disappearance, has Elmira, New York home searched while under arrest

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , , on April 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Elmira, New York — Police have searched the upstate New York home of David Perry, prime suspect in the case of missing police cadet Kelly Rothwell.

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

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Officers return to home of person of interest in missing police cadet case

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , on April 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

David Perry

April 09, 2012 @ 05:00PM

  ELMIRA, N.Y. – 

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/

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Police search David Perry’s West Elmira home

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , on April 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Cops execute warrant related to theft charge

11:53 PM, Apr. 9, 2012

WEST ELMIRA — New York State Police on Monday began searching the home of a West Elmira man who Florida authorities consider a suspect in the disappearance of a police cadet.

But the search of David R. Perry’s home at 1708 W. Church St. was unrelated to the Florida case.

Police were executing a search warrant from Steuben County Court, where Perry is charged with second-degree grand larceny, said New York State Police Investigator Eric Hurd.

“We found many items today,” Hurd said, though he would not say specifically what police found, what the warrant instructed them to search for, or whether additional charges might come after the search.

Perry is accused of stealing from the state retirement disability system between 2005 and 2012 by receiving benefits to which he was not entitled.

Pinellas County, Fla., investigators have named Perry a suspect in the disappearance of Kelly Rothwell, 35, who was his girlfriend when she disappeared March 12, 2011.

Police could be seen entering Perry’s unattached garage, where they 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 after they opened it. Hurd had no comment about the sound.

A police dog and K-9 officer were behind the house during the search; Hurd would not say why the dog was used.

In the late afternoon, police emerged from the backyard of the home carrying evidence, including a large envelope marked “receipts 2011.” They loaded the evidence into a car.

A police car was to be parked overnight to watch the home. Police plan to resume their search of the property Tuesday morning, Hurd said.

Perry remained in Steuben County Jail Monday night in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 property bond.

The bail amount has decreased since his arrest March 14, when it was set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 property bond.

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Bail lowered for David Perry

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , on April 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

04/09/2012 04:52 PM

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/

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David Perry, ex-boyfriend of missing police cadet Kelly Rothwell, has new girlfriend from Las Vegas

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , , on July 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

A picture of Dave Perry with his new girlfriend, Melissa Marie Walker. Perry's ex-girlfriend, Kelly Rothwell, has been missing since March.

St. Petersburg, Florida – 10 News has learned that the ex-boyfriend of missing police cadet, Kelly Rothwell, now has a new girlfriend.

David Perry has moved on to a new woman he met off of the Craig’s List website, according to Pinellas detectives. He met his new girlfriend just two weeks after Kelly went missing.

The woman’s name is Melissa Marie Walker from Las Vegas, Nevada.  The 35-year-old is reportedly in the military and could be deployed to Hawaii soon.

Detectives say Perry told friends in New York that he now wants to move to Hawaii and begin a new life.

Detectives say they warned Melissa about Perry and his past.

Detective Michael Bailey from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said, “She told us she didn’t care and that they worked everything out. We warned her.  She said she could no longer assist us in the investigation and [search for Kelly].”

Kelly went missing nearly three months ago.  She was on her way to break up with Perry at their Indian Rocks Beach condo.

So far, Perry has not cooperated with Pinellas detectives. In fact, he took off for upstate New York shortly after Kelly went missing.   He was arrested last month for insurance fraud and his car was impounded.

On Monday, when he went to pick up his car in Elmira, New York, Perry was not counting on being face to face with Pinellas detectives. Two investigators from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office traveled to New York to talk with Perry.

They say, he was not willing to speak with them.  Detective Michael Bailey told 10 News, “He had a meltdown and began running around the police station.  He peeled out in the parking lot and took off.”

Perry drove off and refused to talk. Investigators are continuing to question those close to Perry, including his daughters.

However, Perry’s daughters, Brittany and Brandy, both in their early 20s and each married, refused to cooperate and answer any questions.

Bailey said, “We just wanted to talk with them about Kelly.  They would not come in for an interview. Brittany asked for an attorney.”

Perry will not do any police interviews. He has not provided DNA samples.  He simply will not talk about his ex-girlfriend at all.

Last month, Perry was arrested on charges of insurance fraud, accused of faking a workman’s comp injury when he was a state corrections officer.

Perry is not considered a suspect in Kelly’s disappearance. At this point, she is considered a missing person. It is not a homicide case.

The search for Kelly continues.

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National team joins search for missing police cadet

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , , on May 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Sunday, May 8, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG – The search for a missing Bay area police cadet is getting help from a national team.

The Cue Center for Missing Persons brought in search dogs and have been looking for Kelly Rothwell, 35, this weekend.

Rothwell, who is from Indian Rocks Beach, went missing two months ago.

Rothwell’s friends are thankful for the help but are terrified for her safety.

“It’s nightmares coming true,” Donna Scharrett said. “I mean, my best friend, one of my very best friends, is just gone, and we don’t have anywhere to start.”

Friends said Rothwell was about to break up with her longtime boyfriend, David Perry, when she disappeared.

Deputies said Perry is not cooperating with the investigation. Perry moved back to his home state of New York shortly after Rothwell disappeared.

Earlier this week, Perry was arrested on unrelated charges of insurance fraud. He has not been named a suspect in Rothwell’s disappearance.

http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/may/241095/National-team-joins-search-for-missing-police-cadet?cid=rss

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Timeline: What Happened to Kelly Rothwell?

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , on April 27, 2011 |

With the 35-year-old police cadet missing without a trace and no leads to her whereabouts, Patch recreates a time line of her disappearance and the events that followed.

By Leigh Clifton | Email the author | April 6, 2011

It has been nearly a month since the Indian Rocks Beach resident Kelly Rothwell disappeared.

There have been no sightings, cell phone calls or credit card purchases that would suggest Rothwell is safe or even alive, since the 35-year-old Indian Rocks Beach woman dropped out of sight on March 12.

As family, friends, associates and police investigators hunt for Rothwell, Patch has created a timeline that marks her disappearance and the events that have followed.

It shows how quickly friends, her immediate family and investigators responded, when Rothwell — who has been described as dependable — disappeared.

Rothwell’s absence was first noticed when she failed to meet some friends from the police academy for a Saturday night out. She was not at her desk at the St. Pete Police Academy on Monday morning.

The timeline also shows how the departure of David Perry, Rothwell’s live-in boyfriend, for New York coincided with her disappearance.

Perry, a 46-year-old retired New York State prison guard, first refused to talk with investigators, but then said last week he does not know what happened to her.

1:30-3:38 p.m., Saturday, March 12th: Rothwell has lunch with friend Donna Scharrett at Chili’s Restaurant on Rt. 19, Clearwater. She leaves the restaurant,telling Scharrett she’s headed to her Indian Rocks Beach condominium to break up with live-in boyfriend David Perry. A time stamp on Scharrett’s lunch receipt shows the two settling up and heading out at 3:38 p.m. Rothwell drives away in her Subaru.

4:30-5:30 p.m., March 12th: Downstairs neighbor Ken Williamson and his wife hear a loud pounding noise on the floor of Rothwell’s condominium, which is directly above the unit where he and his wife live. The pounding sounds like something being dropped on the carpeted floor, Williamson said. It is followed by the sound of a vacuum cleaner running in Rothwell’s master bedroom.

6:30 p.m., March 12th: Rothwell is a no-show for a planned get-together at Caddy’s, on Sunset Beach, that include some of the cadets at the St. Petersburg Police Academy.

6:30 p.m., March 12th: Scharrett gets a text from Rothwell’s phone, advising that she will call later. Scharrett recalls there are misspellings, which are unusual for Rothwell.

Before midnight March 12th: Perry, Rothwell’s live-in boyfriend, leaves Indian Rocks Beach for Elmira, NY. Perry leaves behind many belongings.

10 a.m., Sunday March 13th: Bill Nobles, a police cadet and classmate of Rothwell, calls Scharrett, asking if she has seen Rothwell, who did not show up for the party at Caddy’s.

10:15 a.m., March 13th: Scharrett tries Rothwell’s cell phone several times, with no answer. Scharrett is worried about her friend’s safety, since Rothwell had disclosed that she and Perry have had “domestic” problems. Scharrett calls Nobles back, and he advises her to call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and ask for a “House Check” for her friend. She contacts the Sheriff’s Office, which dispatches a patrol car.

11 a.m., March 13th: Scharrett hears back from the Sheriff’s Office that no one is at the condominium and that vehicles belonging to Perry and Rothwell are not in their assigned parking spaces at the condominium complex.

Noon, March 13th: With the help of neighbors who have a key, deputies enter Rothwell’s condo and find no one at home.

Early afternoon, March 13th: Rothwell’s green Subaru is found a couple miles from her house, parked near a Holiday Inn.

9 p.m., March 13th: Homicide Detective Michael Bailey, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, goes to Scharrett’s home and takes a statement from Rothwell’s best friend.

Monday, March 14th: Rothwell does not show up at the St. Pete Police Academy. Prior to this, she has never missed a day of class.

March 14th: David R. Perry, Perry’s 21-year-old son, shows up at the condo and tries to remove a cardboard box, which detectives take into their possession and have at this time.

March 15th: Florida detectives make contact with Perry in Elmira, New York, but the retired corrections officer refuses to talk with investigators or to allow New York police to search his car.

Monday, March 21: Nancy Rothwell, Kelly’s mother, meets Scharrett at her daughter’s condo. She tries to assist in the search for her daughter.

Tuesday, March 22: William Constantine, a close friend of Scharrett, meets Nancy Rothwell at Kelly’s condo. Constantine is a psychic and medium who offers his assistance at no charge to the Rothwell family.

Wednesday, March 23rd: TV’s Nancy Grace interviews Rothwell’s neighbor, Ken Williamson, her sister Kristen and psychic William Constantine. The case starts to get national attention.

March 24th: Perry surrenders his car to New York detectives. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office executes a second search warrant of the Indian Rocks Beach condominium that Rothwell shared with Perry.

10:30 a.m., Sunday, March 27th: Detectives with Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Homicide Division, learn David Perry has returned to Florida and is cleaning out a storage locker at a local storage facility. They approach him and ask him to provide a DNA sample. Perry refuses.

Friday, April 1st: New York attorney Thomas Reilly tells the Associated Press that his client, David Perry, did nothing wrong and does not know the whereabouts of Kelly Rothwell. He also asserts his client’s right to refuse to speak to police.

April 1-3rd: Perry is seen driving a gray rental car near his home at 1708 W. Church St., in Elmira, NY.

Wednesday, April 6: Kelly Rothwell is still missing. Friends and loved ones keep vigil for Rothwell via the Facebook Page titled: “Help Find Kelly Rothwell.”

Wednesday, April 13: St. Pete Police Academy is scheduled to graduate its spring class of recruits. Rothwell’s name is listed among the students, with the notation: “Not in attendance.” There will be a candlelight vigil and prayer circle to honor Rothwell following the 6 p.m. graduation ceremony.

http://largo.patch.com/articles/timeline-what-happened-to-kelly-rothwell-2

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ONLY on 10: Teams head to Fla. to look for missing cadet

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2011 |

Apr 26, 2011

St. Petersburg, Florida – Her story has captured the attention of the nation.

Missing police cadet Kelly Rothwell is the subject of a massive search across the country. The 35-year-old disappeared without a trace on March 12th. She was last seen at a Clearwater Chili’s having lunch with her best friend. Kelly was on her way to the Indian Rocks Beach condo that she shared with her boyfriend, David Perry, to break up with him.

No one has seen her since then.

Detective Michael Bailey tells 10 News, “She could be anywhere in the United States, obviously, between Florida and New York. That’s an area David Perry is familiar with. Probably not a bad idea to check it out.”

Kelly’s ex-boyfriend, David Perry, is a retired corrections officer who detectives say fled to New York right after she went missing. He hasn’t helped in the search, detectives say.  In addition, he has not provided any DNA samples that they requested.

He won’t even do an interview or provide them with a timeline as to Kelly’s last whereabouts.

Kelly’s story has gained so much attention that the National group Cue Center for Missing Persons, out of North Carolina, is getting involved. They are bringing search teams and dogs to find her.

Group Founder Monica Caison says, “I was born and raised in the area and am familiar with the area. I can’t wait to start looking at some areas.”

Caison loves her career with the group that’s been around for 17 years.  It is her passion. She says the key to cracking this case is to keep Kelly’s story in the spotlight, and one way to do that is a website.

The website will be up and running by the end of the week. It’s called “Help find Kelly Rothwell.”

Caison says, “It gives us a place where people can send messages to the Rothwell family, as well as tips or leads.”

This weekend, a vigil is being organized for Kelly, not in Florida, but in Elmira, New York, her ex-boyfriend’s hometown. Kelly’s friends and family are hoping that the vigil brings more attention to her case and could encourage Perry to talk.

Detective Bailey says, “Elmira is a small town. I’m certain because of coverage, everyone is aware of the case, so it’s important for them to see that a lead may come from that.”

It could be that lead that allows detectives to find Kelly Rothwell in Pinellas County.

Detectives have also confirmed to 10 News that they are putting together billboards next month with Kelly’s information.  It could help jog someone’s memory. They are also continuing to speak with Kelly’s classmates at the police academy, where she was at the top of her class.

If you know where Kelly is or have any information on her disappearance, there’s a reward of up to $1,000 waiting for you.

You can remain anonymous.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/189062/250/ONLY-on-10-Teams-head-to-Fla-to-look-for-missing-cadet

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Neighbors Plan Vigil For Kelly Rothwell

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , , , on April 27, 2011 |

Published: 4/26

Elmira, N.Y. – As authorities continue the search for Kelly Rothwell, many Elmira neighbors are hoping to shed some light on the situation.

Kelly Rothwell is the girlfriend of David Perry.

The former Elmira man is a person of interest in her disappearance last month.  After she went missing, in Florida, Perry returned here to Elmira.

This on going situation has touched a number of neighbors here in the southern tier.  Some are planning a candle light vigil this weekend.

JoLynn Morgan is planning the vigil.  She said, “It’s a family event.  We have candles, bring candles, bring your good vibes and wishes for the Rothwell family.  We’re trying to bring Kelly home.”

Morgan says along with the candle light, there will be poems read.  She says there will also be a prayer reading lead by a local pastor.

If you’re interested in participating in vigil, you’ll need to head to Eldridge Park, this Saturday, April 30th.  It starts at 7:30 p.m. at the carousel.

David Perry is not considered at suspect in the Kelly Rothwell missing persons case, just a person of interest.

So far, he has refused to be questioned by authorities.

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TV’s Nancy Grace Explores Case of Missing Police Recruit Kelly Rothwell

Posted in News Articles, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2011 |

March 24, 2011

Neighbor Ken Williamson tells Nancy Grace he heard loud thumping noises on the floor above his head between 4p.m.- 5p.m. Saturday March 12th, which was about an hour after she was last seen in public.

TV talk show host Nancy Grace interviewed family, neighbors and a friend of missing St. Petersburg police cadet Kelly Rothwell on her HLN News show Wednesday night.

Grace called the mystery a “bombshell” and told viewers that Rothwell had disappeared into “thin air.”

Ken Williamson, a neighbor of Rothwell and her live-in boyfriend, David Perry, told Grace that on Saturday, March 12th,  he and his wife Mary heard loud thumping sounds coming from the upstairs condo where Rothwell and Perry lived.

“It sounded like four or five loud thumps, like some kind of heavy object, something with some substantial weight to it, was either slammed or dropped on the floor,” Williamson told the talk show host.

“My wife heard them at first. Of the four or five, I heard at least two.”

The Williamsons’ downstairs master bedroom is directly above Rothwell’s and Perry’s master bedroom; Williamson said that he was in his own master bedroom when he heard the thumping on the floor directly above his head.

Then Williamson said he heard vacuuming. It was something that he didn’t feel was unusual in that Perry often vacuumed several times a day.

Williamson considered going up to the apartment but did not think it was a good idea since he and Perry did not have a warm reationship.

“I thought about going up there and checking on things, maybe asking Dave if there was something wrong, after I heard the loud thumping noises,” he said.

“But when I heard the vacuum going, I figured to leave well enough alone. He never answered his door when somebody knocked. He also never answered his phone, so I didn’t go up there.”

Police continue to search for the 35-year-old police cadet, reported missing on Sunday, March 13 by a friend. David Perry went to New York the same weekend that his girlfriend disappeared. He refuses to discuss her whereabouts with police.

In a taped interview, Mary Williamson told producers she was afraid of Perry. Her husband recounted two separate incidents where authorities were called because of confrontations with Perry. In one case, Williamson filed a complaint with police, claiming that Perry stomped on his floor so hard that Williamson’s ceiling fan crashed to the floor.

Mary Williamson also was shown visibly upset and expressing worry that Rothwell was no longer alive. Grace also talked with one of Rothwell’s sisters, Kristen.

The TV show also had numerous photos of Rothwell that seemed to be from family photo albums, showing the young woman happy and smiling, on vacation and with relatives.

The show also had a video of Rothwell training as a recruit. Another video, taken from a store surveillance camera, showed her at Publix buying groceries on Saturday, March 12. No one has been able to trace her movements after that.

Grace also had nationally known psychic William Constantine as a guest, but cut him off twice as the program went to commercial. Constantine told viewers that he felt that Rothwell had been hit in the head and that some sort of serious altercation had taken place in the master bedroom. Constantine, who visited Rothwell’s Indian Rocks Beach condo, said he  smelled some sort of strong disinfectant cleaning solution when he went inside.

Constantine, in an interview after his appearance on the Nancy Grace show, said that the talk show host apologized and has offered to have him back on the show Thursday night at 8.p.m. He said that producers expressed interest in continuing to follow the case.

http://largo.patch.com/articles/tvs-nancy-grace-explores-case-of-missing-police-recruit-kelly-rothwell-2

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