Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 03/12/2011

Missing Since:

Missing Since 03/12/2011

Missing From:

Missing From Clearwater, Florida

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Female

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 01/10/1976 (49)

Age:

Age 35 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’1, 110 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Rothwell has a tattoo of a butterfly on her ankle. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance:

On March 21, 2011, Heather Rothwell had lunch with a friend and said she was going home to break up with her boyfriend of three years, David Perry. She lived with Perry in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. Neighbors heard her car arrive, then loud thumps and vacuuming from her condo. She never met friends that evening, and was reported missing the next day.

Her car was found nearby, but her purse and wallet were gone. Rothwell was a police academy cadet about to graduate. Perry, a retired corrections officer, was described as possessive and controlling. He had threatened to kill her if she left. The neighbors were also afraid of him and had reported him to the police before.

Police found their condo extremely clean, smelling strongly of disinfectant. Rothwell’s academy notes were in the trash, unusual for her. Perry left town that night, driving back to New York. He quickly started a new relationship with a woman he’d met online, even before Rothwell disappeared, and married her within four months.

Perry had a history of violence. His ex-wife described years of abuse and threats to kill her. He was later convicted of unrelated crimes, including insurance fraud and assault, but served a short prison sentence. He was named a suspect in Rothwell’s disappearance in August 2011, but the case remains unsolved, and police suspect foul play.

Agency:

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office 727-582-6333

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