Authorities are scrambling to find clues to the whereabouts of a missing Florida mother who mysteriously disappeared from a beach last weekend following a custody swap.
Cassie Carly37, was last seen on Navarre Beach on March 27, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. She had met with the child’s father, Marcus Spanavelo, to swap custody of their 4-year-old daughter.
“That was the last we know of Cassie being seen,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said told Reporters at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
The next day she was reported missing.
The Florida woman’s 4-year-old daughter, Saylor, was surely found, authorities confirmed. Carli’s car and purse were found by police on March 29.
“What we found concerning was Cassie’s purse in that car,” Johnson added. “Most women don’t leave their purse behind when they go somewhere. … I’ve been married 32 years and I’ll tell you my wife doesn’t go anywhere without her purse.”
“So to think that she just left it there and walked away, that worries us,” he added.
Authorities also have not indicated whether Spanavelo – who was being questioned in Alabama this week – is an official interested in his wife’s disappearance.
“It’s an ongoing investigation and he was the last person who saw it that we know of so we want to speak to him again,” Johnson explained.
Johnson also clarified that Carli’s child has not yet been questioned by detectives, officials said.
Third-party negligence hasn’t been ruled out, but investigators declined to comment on whether they suspect Carli is still alive.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe, the evidence is what we’re doing, and right now we don’t have enough evidence to determine if she’s alive or deceased,” Johnson said.
Authorities were also wary of the exact scope and area of the search, but confirmed search efforts have now extended beyond county lines. The FBI is also assisting local authorities in the investigation.
The story goes on
“We are currently in several different phases of this investigation,” Johnson said.
In the days following her mysterious disappearance, the Florida woman’s friends and family have tirelessly scoured the Navarre Beach area for any clues that might help pinpoint her whereabouts.
“We’ll be in this area until the sun goes down,” her boyfriend Sam Porter said told WEAR TV this week.
A candlelight vigil was held for the missing 37-year-old on Tuesday.
“I’m very confident,” Porter added. “Cassie is a fighter. There’s a lot of prayers for Cassie right now.”
No further information about the active investigation was released by law enforcement this week. A spokesman for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Oxygen. com on Friday morning.
According to officials, Carli is estimated to be five feet and five inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.
Anyone with additional information as to Carli’s possible whereabouts is urged to contact the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division at 850-983-1190.
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