Aug 28, 2008 9:25 pm US/Eastern
Another Clue In Ft. Lauderdale Missing Mom Case
Josephine Frennas Was Last Seen On Thursday
Sunday, Her Body Was Found Floating Off St. Lucie Co.
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
Ft. Lauderdale police have recovered another clue in their investigation into Joephine Frenna's disappearance.
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. 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. An autopsy confirmed it was Frenna and listed drowning as the cause of death. There were no obvious signs of a struggle, according to the Medical Examiner's report.
Family members say they don't understand how Frenna could have drowned. They told police she didn't like to swim and almost never went in the ocean and pools.
"There is no way that Josephine went in the water on her own volition," said family friend Steve Stabile. "Anyone who knew Josephine would know that she is not the kind of person to ever go inside the water."
Wednesday, investigators on the case say they received a call from a woman who works in the condo next to where Frenna lived. She said that while she was cleaning beach chairs over the weekend, she found a bag with clothes and things in it which may have belonged to Frenna.
Inside the bag, police found sandals, miscellaneous clothing, and a set of keys. One of the keys recovered belonged to Frenna's condo; another was used to access the common area of Frenna's condo including beach access.
Frenna was scheduled to go to court last Friday to get a restraining order against her estranged husband, Gerardo Di Marco. 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.
Police say DiMarco has been cooperative in their investigation.
Frenna moved to Fort Lauderdale from Montreal about a month ago. 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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