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Aug 26, 2008 6:03 pm US/Eastern
Missing Mom Identified, Body Found At Sea
Josephine Frenna Vanished Thursday Morning
Woman's Body Found In St. Lucie County On Sunday
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
The worst fears of the family of a missing Ft. Lauderdale mother have been confirmed; autopsy results have proven that the body of a woman found floating off St. Lucie County is that of their missing loved one, Josephine Frenna.
Sunday afternoon a woman's body, in a blue bathing suit, was found 20 miles east of Sebastian Inlet by the U.S. Coast Guard, according to St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara. The medical examiner in St. Lucie County determined Frenna had drowned. There were no obvious signs of a struggle, according to the ME, but her death has not been ruled accidental. Dental records were used to help identify the body.
Frenna, 51, was last seen Thursday morning after she dropped her 14-year old son off at his school bus stop. When he came home from school Thursday afternoon, she was nowhere to be found in their Galt Ocean Mile apartment. Detectives say Frenna's purse, keys and car were left at her apartment leading her family to suspect foul play in her disappearance.
"We understand this is a difficult time for the family and we understand they have concerns and we're going to address their concerns and we're going to address the concerns of Mr. Di Marco," said Sergeant Frank Sousa of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. "We understand this is a sensitive case."
Frenna was scheduled to go to court last Friday to get a restraining order against her estranged husband, Gerardo Di Marco. She already had an active domestic violence order against him, according to Fort Lauderdale Police. Last week, Di Marco filed for divorce.
In a previous court appearance about a month ago, Frenna told a Broward judge that her husband was violent and once threatened to throw her off a balcony. Court records also show that Frenna and her son feared for their lives.
At the courthouse on Friday, her attorney, Caryn Carvo, told CBS4 that she spoke to Frenna on Wednesday, "She was fine. She knew she had some things to do get our office some documents. She was obviously concerned over some safety factors."
Police say last week that DiMarco was being cooperative in their investigation.
Frenna moved to Fort Lauderdale from Montreal about a month ago. Detectives searched the area around her apartment building and also checked local hospitals, jails and airline rosters but found no clues to her whereabouts. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
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