Finally a Small Bit of Justice for Kelly Rothwell

Earlier this afternoon, David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of Kelly Rothwell, was sentenced to 4-12 years in prison for the unrelated crimes of felony grand larceny and fraud. These charges stemmed from a Work-Comp related fraud case from 2003. Perry had claimed back in 2003 that he was injured in an inmate-related scuffle when he was a Corrections Officer at Elmira Correctional Facility in Elmira, New York. Several people who worked with him at the facility testified that Perry faked his injury and then bragged about how he had beaten the system.

At that time, Perry was able to obtain his New York state pension as well; because the fund that pays the pension is in Steuben County, New York, Perry is facing the same charges there too.

Steuben County DA Brooks Baker is still waiting for an appeal on a ruling that the search and seizure of Perry’s assets earlier this year was negated. Baker wants the seizure of assets to stand as proof of Perry’s ill-gotten gains from his fake injury.


Perry has also been collecting Social Security Disability. There is no information as to whether SS is investigating him at this time. But one would imagine that he obtained the SSID benefits based on the Work-Comp related assessment of injury. If those charges have been negated, then one would assume that his SS Disability will also be discontinued and Perry prosecuted for falsely claiming an injury. Ruh Ro…… With the government involved, could federal charges apply?

 
What does this do for Kelly Rothwell’s case? Perhaps while in jail and contemplating the rest of his miserable life, David Perry may feel compelled to confess. Does anyone think that he will last at LEAST 4 more years in a jail cell without feeling the compunction to make a possible deal?  Unfortunately most sociopaths have no conscience and Perry exhibits a great of sociopathic characteristics. He is a narcissist, an abuser and a user. He is also very smart. But it looks like his ‘smarts’ failed him this time, thanks to the tenaciousness of  both the Broome County and Steuben County DA’s office, certain New York state troopers (who ROCK btw) and the brave men who stepped forward, even under threats, to testify against him. There is no need to mention their names; they know who they are and their part in this conviction. At least now they can feel safe, knowing Perry won’t be roaming the streets.

 
Lauren Rothwell, Kelly sister, said this; “I’m just glad he’s off the streets. I feel better knowing that he’s going to stay in jail. But this is not justice for Kelly, its justice for the state of New York. Justice for Kelly will happen when it happens; when he is prosecuted for her murder. All this does is gives everyone more time to work on her case. He’s in jail where he belongs; he’s not in jail for Kelly but I have faith that that will come in time.”

 

Nancy Rothwell, Kelly's mother had this to say of today’s sentencing;  “The family and friends of Kelly have been so grateful that he’s been in jail for the past two years; he’s been off the streets and can’t hurt anybody like he did my daughter. He is harmful to society. I really want to thank all of the prosecutors and police who have given so much of their time in their efforts to get him convicted. I’m glad that the state of New York has been able to keep him behind bars for the crimes he committed in New York because that had given me some small measure of peace of mind.  That’s been over two years of his life that’s been taken away, that he’s lost. While that can’t bring Kelly back, I’m grateful that he’s suffering like he made her suffer.  And if or when he is ever released, you WILL hear his name at some point in news because I can’t imagine someone that evil would just fade away … sooner or later someone else will be harmed by his actions.”


This is a small but significant victory in the efforts to find out what happened to Kelly Rothwell.
 

The longer her killer sits in jail, the longer we have to find her and bring her home.

 

A Day of Reckoning and Justice

David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of St. Pete Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell in March 2011 will face a Broome County, New York judge today. Perry will  learn his sentence, not in Kelly's murder, but on his conviction on grand larceny and fraud charges related to an alleged Work-Comp related injury from 2003. He was convicted after a second trial in September of this year and has been awaiting sentencing for those offenses.

Perry is also waiting on a Appeal and Memorandum of Law, filed by Steuben County DA Brooks Baker after Baker brought similar charges of grand larceny and fraud charges against Perry in Steuben County, where the funds for the Work Comp payments originated. Perry's house was raided and over $128,000 in small bills was found hidden in his home.In a stunning and strange turn, Judge Joseph Latham ruled that the seizure of Perry's assets be reversed. But in light of the Broome County conviction on the identical Steuben County charges, one would hope that the judge would see that Perry has been found guilty of those charges and will let the case be heard.

According to Steuben County DA Baker, the appeal of the seizure of assets is due to be heard soon, but he had no concrete date on that hearing.

Lets hope this is a day of reckoning; if David Perry sits in jail long enough and has a long enough sentence, then maybe he'll start talking about what he did to Kelly Rothwell. Maybe he'll finally tell someone where he put her body. Maybe....

Meanwhile Kelly Rothwell has been missing for almost three years. It's time to bring her home.

DAVID PERRY FOUND GUILTY OF FRAUD,GRAND LARCENY

David Perry, the only suspect in the probable murder of St. Pete Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell has been found GUILTY of fraud and grand larceny charges in a Broome County Court house today.
He has been remanded back to the jail without bail.
Perry, who has arrogantly maintained his silence over his missing ex-girlfriend Kelly Rothwell of Indian Rocks Beach, was found guilty in a second trial in Broome County, after his first trial ended in a hung jury this past August.
As I write this, I am sitting in a diner , so I will have to finish a more extensive blog post after lunch. I will have MUCH more on this a little later today!!!

FINALLY some sort of JUSTICE for Kelly...

More later.. Leigh

David Perry to Face Another Jury Monday, 9/30/13 in Fraud, Larceny Case

By Leigh Clifton

David Perry, the Elmira, New York man who is the only suspect in the 2011 disappearance and probable murder of his then- girlfriend St. Petersburg Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell faces a jury on Monday… Again… But not for Kelly Rothwell’s murder. Perry, who was living with Kelly at her Indian Rocks Beach, Florida condo in 2011, was charged with Grand Larceny and Fraud after claiming an injured back in a Work- Comp related incident when he was a Corrections Officer at Elmira Correctional, in Elmira, New York. The incident stemmed from a 2003 “red dot” call to a prisoner’s cell for a fight; Perry wasn’t supposed to respond but did so, then claimed he was slammed backwards on a prisoner’s bed, hurting his back.

Several eye witnesses testified that Perry was never actually IN the cell and that his claims of injury, which resulted in thousands of dollars in Workman’s Compensation , Social Security and pension payouts, were false.

Earlier in August of this year, Perry, who had been in jail in Steuben County on related charges and felony assault, was transported to Broome County to face a jury and answer the question as to whether or not he lied about his injuries in order to get benefits he was not entitled to.

On August 19^th, a jury was unable to come to a conclusion, resulting in a hung jury. Perry walked out to freedom. According to one of the witnesses at the trial, Perry looked “horrible; gaunt and skinny, like he hadn’t eaten in a while.”  Gone was the boyish, surfer look, replaced by the classic “jail pallor” having spent almost two years in the county jails.

 On Monday, September 30, 2013, Perry faces a jury a SECOND time in his trial and this time the ADA will be ready for him… and so will the jury.

In Perry’s first trial, he was charming, smooth and convincing, according to a source at the trial. But this time the ADA is ready for Perry’s machinations and plans on letting the jurors know about his “wolf in sheep’s clothing” charm; a charm that may have ultimately and tragically precipitated

in Kelly Rothwell’s murder.

After his release, apparently Perry made some references to his “wife” Melissa Walker, who he claimed he was now free to spend time with. Thing is, she’s NOT his wife anymore. Melissa Walker divorced David Perry while he was in jail, on July 24, 2012, having filed earlier that year in January, according to the Hawaii Clerk of Court Public Records. There is no information that states she may still be in contact with him. But I hope for her sake, she realizes how lucky she was to get away….

Knowing Perry, he is probably already trolling the internet, looking for his next conquest (read victim).

No one knows how a jury up there in New York is going to react to the evidence the ADA presents them this time; hopefully it will include the photos of Perry practicing his  windsurfing techniques in the Gulf of Mexico with his “badly injured back”. The saddest thing about those photos is that Kelly is in the background in a few of them; a young, wistful woman, so full of life that was taken way before her time.

 Also, I do hope that somebody kept tabs on Perry while he was awaiting this second trial; I’ve always contended that he allegedly killed Kelly and brought her up to New York, where he knew no Pinellas County Sheriff, whose office is investigating the case, would have the time or resources to look for her. Like any sociopathic predator, most people like to return to the scene; it gives them a sense of control, something Perry, with his severe OCD, seems to crave incessantly. I would venture to say that Perry, who considers himself superior in intellect and looks (although not any more, from the witness description) thinks he may well have gotten away with Kelly’s murder. It has always been my theory that she is up in New York. Someone who is as much a control freak as Perry is would want to keep revisiting the scene, as much for reassurance of his prowess and cunning as well as to confirm his crime. Remember, he was part of the legal system as a C.O. so he knows how to get away, literally, with murder. Just keep your mouth shut.

And what about that red truck? According to a source close to the investigation, days after Perry fled to Florida the night Kelly went “missing”, a red truck showed up in his driveway… a red truck that two weeks later he drove down to Florida, supposedly to give to his son. How brilliant a plan would that be if he had used that truck to move Kelly’s body from the back of his blue Honda to transport it to her final, sad and solitary resting place. Then clean it and drive it down to Florida where no one would think to test it for DNA….

Remember, his blue Honda, which Kelly had ridden in and driven in hundreds of times, had NO female DNA in it... NONE according to Sheriff Gualtieri. And when Perry finally gave UP the car to the NY police, two weeks after he had fled up to Elmira, there was  such a pervasive smell of bleach and industrial cleaner that one officer said he could smell it five feet from the car. NO DNA? TRULY???  So was the red truck processed?

According to Detective Mike Bailey, of the Pinellas County Sheriffs office, that information is part of the ongoing investigation in Florida.

But any trace evidence would have been lost anyway possibly; it’s been too long since Kelly Rothwell went “missing.” I wonder what opportunities were lost that might have helped get proof of Perry’s involvement? Did it even occur to the Sheriff’s office that that is what he might have done? I guess we’ll never know.

I know one thing; Kelly Rothwell is still missing and I contend that David Perry knows where she is and what happened to her.

But on Monday, Perry will once again face a Broome County jury on Larceny and Fraud charges. There is still an appeal pending from Steuben County DA Brooks Baker on the charges in Steuben County and the Forfeiture of Assets to be heard later this fall.

Can someone please tell me how a judge can overlook it when a guy who is a suspect in a murder investigation, as well as Grand Larceny AND Fraud, has his house searched, they find $128,000 dollars in small bills hidden away under his dresser, a brand new car, which would require little maintenance and purchased with CASH, a drivers license with the name David Walker on it, (perfect for Mexico)  numerous “toys” like expensive motorcycles and snow mobiles and then STILL  grants him the right to get those things  back.. REALLY???? The cash wasn't just a BIT of a red flag Judge??? Driver’s license, obtained 6 months from the date Perry married Melissa Walker and changed his name to hers (briefly)... An International driver’s licenses with a WAITING period of... wait for it… six months?  Does anybody else think he just used Melissa Walker to get her last name on his license so he could disappear to Cabo and live the surfer life?

Where did the cash come from? Is Perry Mr. Thrifty?? Or did he just drive a LOT from Florida to New York… New York to Florida, etc.  (I mean a LOT)

Pretty soon (hopefully) “Teflon Dave” will get caught up in his own web of deception.

But it can’t come soon enough for the Rothwells.

They wanted to be at the Courthouse on Monday, but they got notice about the re-trial on Friday, too late for the arrangements to be made.

So they, like all of the rest of us, must trust in a New York legal system that has been quite disappointing in the past.

Let’s get it right this time.

Kelly Rothwell deserves better…

 

Human Skeletal Remains Are More Likely Male

The human skeletal remains found in Athens Township,PA, last Friday, March 8th,  are more than likely that of a male, a source close to law enforcement told me earlier tonight.

What looked like a promising lead or clue to the case of missing St. Petersburg Florida Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell seems to be just another disappointment and frustration in this saga of love, betrayal, and likely murder.

Law enforcement close to the David Perry/ Kelly Rothwell case were momentarily hopeful that at last Kelly Rothwell had been found. David Perry, an Elmira resident and only suspect in her disappearance, lived just 15 minutes from the area where the human remains were found. And more than one person thought that he may have buried her body somewhere close.


"Dave knows that whole area really well and we used to skinny-dip in those natural pools of water left over from the digs,"  said Luana Greenfield, Perry's first wife. "It would not be a surprise to me if they did find Kelly's remains there; he always said he would kill me and throw me in the river. I truly believe that he could do that; no question in my mind."

Perry's second wife, Melissa Walker is stationed in Hawaii at an Army hospital there. Despite her protests that she was divorcing Perry, there has been no confirmation that the divorce actually happened. It seems that she and Perry have maintained a contact during the entire time he has been in jail on  Grand Larceny, Fraud and most recently, Felony Assault charges stemming from a jailhouse altercation with another prisoner, William Hargrave. Hargrave had to be briefly hospitalized with a head laceration. Perry complained that his back was re-injured as a result of the assault.

But the Bradford County Coroner's office is still trying to positively identify the remains, which were originally noted as a small female; it caused such a stir among those of us who have been looking for Kelly and trying to keep her name out, front and center, we all started to hold out some hope.

Meanwhile, another family is holding out hope for some semblance of closure, however sad, that this latest find might help them put a mystery to rest and  help a family begin to heal.

If not the Rothwells,then perhaps someone else will sleep easier tonight, knowing that their loved one will finally be at rest.

So sad that the Rothwells don't have that luxury.. Kelly Rothwell is still missing... after two years of agony her family still waits. Meanwhile the person who knows what happened to Kelly sits in a Broome County jail cell, overconfidant that he will never get caught,

Rest in peace, whoever you are among those remains...

Kelly Rothwell is still out there.. we're waiting to bring you home.

Could This be Kelly Rothwell? Human Remains Found 15 Minutes from Elmira

In a strange and bizarre twist, on a sad day of  the two year anniversary of Kelly Rothwell going missing, what is thought to be female human remains have been found near the Dalrymple Gravel Pits in  Athens Township, a small borough in Pennsylvania, just over the line from New York. Not so coincidentally, this area also happens to be about 15 minutes from David Perry's house in Elmira. Perry is the only suspect in the case of missing Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell from Indian Rocks Beach Florida. He has steadfastly refused to discuss any possible involvement of her disappearance with authorities.

But could this be the break we've all been hoping for? The local gravel pits,which are near where the skeletal  remains were found are located very near the Chemung River, which flows through New York and Pennsylvania. The flooding from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 flooded the Susquehanna River, which pushed through the Chemung River levee on the other side, damaging it.  The town of Athens sits between the two river's confluence, the Susquehanna and the Chemung, five miles south of the New York line in Bradford County. Athens and the surrounding areas sustained heavy flood water damage.
According to different news  sources, ielmira.com and wetm.com, the remains were found on Friday March 8th and are now in the hands of the local coroner.

What I find most interesting are two things; David Perry had always threatened his first wife Luanna  with killing her and throwing her body in the Chemung River.AND If  David Perry DID kill Kelly Rothwell, take her body to New York and weighted her down in the Chemung with large rocks, he certainly wasn't counting on Tropical Storm Lee (can that be a coincidence??) to push  both the Susquehanna and the Chemung Rivers past flood stage engorging several of the surrounding small towns under feet of water. The Chemung levy  sustained substantial damage; could a weighted body farther north in the river have broken loose in the violent rush of the flood waters and deposited the skeletal remains near Athens, where the two rivers meet? The direction of the flow seems possible... Perry was seen by locals with his red kayak strapped to a truck in his driveway early one morning shortly after arriving back in Elmira, days after Kelly went missing in Florida and he took off for Elmira,.....Just a thought.

Another thought is that these remains might be the missing wife and presumed dead wife of Calvin Harris, a famous murder case in that area, where he was convicted of murder, even without her body ever being found. Harris'statements of "no body, no proof, no crime" ring eerily in my ears coming very close to several of the Facebook posts on some of the Kelly pages that stated virtually the same thing. Whether these posts on the Kelly pages were Perry's, we'll never know unless police somehow get his computer and study it forensically. But they were really sickening, to say the least.

Now I have always maintained that I think David Perry killed Kelly Rothwell and took her body to New York. Some have said that that isn't "logical".. but nothing in Perry's violent and sordid past has ever made a lot of 'logical" sense. People like him ARE unpredictable.. I can see him driving up from Florida with her body in his trunk. I think he hid her in some sort of canvas sail bag and then put camping equipment over top of her to hide her. Perry has always been a charmer.. if he got stopped for some reason, he would probably use his past CO experience to develop a camaraderie with a cop.. you know, "we're all on the same side" etc. What possible reason would a cop have to look in the trunk of a blue Honda with an ex -CO brother behind the wheel? He probably counted on that scenario. I think he is so overly confident in his abilities, that he wouldn't have thought twice about getting stopped.

So,what if he did dispose of Kelly's body in the river.. remember, her heavy geode rocks were missing... rocks that weighed upwards of 15-20 lbs each. Kelly was a small woman, under 5'4" and a bit over 100 lbs.

If he DID do this to the woman who was his "soul" mate, then I assure you that if those remains ARE Kelly Rothwell, then Perry wasn't quite as smart as he thought he was..
He wasn't counting on a storm named Lee.



   

Two Years and Little Hope As the Sky Weeps for Kelly Rothwell...

It's been two years today, on March 12, 2011, that St. Petersburg Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell had lunch with a friend, drove home to the condo in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida that she shared with her then- boyfriend, retired Elmira, New York Corrections Officer David Perry, with the intention of finally breaking free of their tumultuous and violent relationship. Kelly had finally found the strength to leave the controlling, obsessive/compulsive and abusive Perry, who had a long and lengthy history of violence towards women. Soft-spoken and slender at just under 5'4",  Kelly had become empowered with her new-found fortitude by way of the  St. Petersburg Police Academy; she  had enrolled, much to everyone's surprise, in the cadet class and became a leader among her peers and a force to be reckoned with. She was a month from graduation and a new life. She never made it...

"She grew out of her shell and became a strong and well-respected leader among the cadets", St. Pete Police Academy ( now retired) Director John Dressback told me in 2011. " She was a friend to everyone who knew her and everybody liked her," he had said with a slight waver in his voice.

Kelly had shown a special interest in the area of  Domestic Violence at the Academy and many felt that her desire to leave David Perry stemmed from the confidence she was starting to feel as she learned more and more about women who overcame serious domestic and physical abuse, often at the hands of the people who purported to "love' them.

But Kelly would never see the day of graduation, never again feel the soft light of the sun on her face, never again see a family that David Perry did his best to isolate her from, a family that loved and missed her.
In an instant, Kelly was missing; David Perry suddenly cleaned up the condo they shared, and then took off suddenly, showing up in Elmira, New York the next day at his home there. He told his daughter Brittney and her husband Kyle who were living in the Elmira home at the time that they were "going to hear a lot about him in the next couple of days and to not believe it". Then he took off again. It was then that I think he left with Kelly's lifeless body still in his trunk, and headed out of town in a hurry. He was traced to several places; he told someone that he was going to "look for Kelly at her favorite spot." He was traced to Oklahoma, where he stayed a few days at a hotel off of the highway, then his trail went dark. He ended up back in Elmira about a week later, refusing to allow New York authorities, working with Pinellas County detectives  to search his car. It was only after two weeks had gone by, March 24th, that Perry finally relinquished the car to New York detectives. They said there was a pervasive smell of disinfectant and bleach. Curiously, there was NO female DNA found at ALL in the car... highly unusual as Kelly and he used to drive together in that blue Honda all the time. The car had been wiped clean by the obsessive /compulsive neat freak, who once yelled at Kelly's sister for putting a water bottle on the counter at their condo.

The Pinellas County investigation into Kelly's disappearance is still on-going, according to the lead detective Mike Bailey, who said that admittedly its hard to go forward with so little evidence
"But," he said, " there have been leads and phone calls that have come in and we have pursued every one of them. And we've  looked at these leads more than once and we're continuing to pursue them."
But Bailey admits that without Perry's or his family's cooperation,it is much more difficult to find the smoking gun; the one piece of evidence that could solve the case and the mystery that is Kelly's disappearance.
I asked Bailey if he thought that Perry would have taken Kelly's body to New York after he allegedly killed her. It has always been my theory that he did. Bailey is not so sure.

"It doesn't seem logical that someone would drive that far with a body in the trunk. Common sense says that a person wouldn't do that, but I guess anything's possible." When I asked Bailey if he thought that Kelly's body could be in New York, he replied, "New York is a big place."

But I think that Perry DID drive Kelly's body after he killed her that Saturday afternoon; he comes from New York and knows the area well. He has hunted the vast woods up there and would know just where to put Kelly were no one would be looking for her. He has counted on the fact that Pinellas County Sheriffs wouldn't have the resources to follow up on possible leads or be able to search such a large area The New York authorities are frustrated as well; some think that she is up there too. But Kelly's disappearance is not their case; they are only pursuing him on the charges of Felony Grand Larceny and Fraud. But some have admitted that there is a real possibility that Kelly's remains lie somewhere upstate.  If this is the case, then David Perry may have committed the perfect crime.. a heinous crime against a beautiful young, vibrant woman who only wanted to make the world a better place, through service and goodness.

Today is especially hard on Kelly's family; it is a milestone anniversary and a sad mystery that seems to have no end in sight for an acceptable conclusion, that of finding Kelly and bringing her home. They are in limbo in the grief process.
Said Kelly's Mother Nancy Rothwell last night, "You have your good moments and your black ones, but we have to go on. Its the not knowing that is so hard to deal with. But Kelly's sister Kristen called me to check on me tonight; and she said something so beautiful; she said that Kelly was a very beautiful person and that she was dearly missed. I'm thinking of her, she said. I thought that was such a beautiful thing to say and Kristen was so right about that. Kelly was a wonderful daughter. I miss her and its tough sometimes..." Nancy's voice trailed off. The family on the whole is doing better; they've come together more as a result of such a tragic loss.

Lauren Rothwell, one of Kelly's two younger twin sisters was sad but also realistic.

She had this to say, " Its not giving up or moving on. We've just moved forward. Kelly was all about moving forward. I believe that this is what she would want. Its not the circumstances surrounding her death, but the circumstances surrounding her life that keep us going. In that way, we honor her every single day.”

Meanwhile David Perry sits in jail in New York. According to Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker, one of the two DA's that are prosecuting Perry in two different counties, Perry's defense attorney has refused to respond. He is moving forward with the felony assault charge that Perry incurred when he tried to put  another prisoner, William Hargrave, through a wall last fall. Hargrave sustained enough injuries that he required hospitalization. Baker is currently waiting on Motions for that.

Baker also filed an Appellate brief in response to the Grand Larceny charges that were dropped on Perry last fall. Baker feels confident that the charges will be restored.  " We have moved the court to settle the record as defense counsel refuses to respond.".
 Neither Perry or his attorney John Scanlon has said much of anything. In his last court appearance, Perry repeatedly pleaded the 5th, refusing to answer. Instead he sat with a smirk on his face in the courtroom..

So where are you Kelly Rothwell? How could such a kind soul as you been subject to the evil that is David Perry?
I woke up this morning and the sky was black and rain was falling. It looked so sad and dismal  and I thought, "the sky is weeping for Kelly, weeping for what was, weeping for what could have been."

Hopefully one day you will have justice. I still wear my bracelet with your name on it.. it is a constant reminder that you're not where you're supposed to be... home with your family. You were betrayed by people who said they loved you and you deserved so much better..

So on this two year anniversary, I wish you and your family some modicum of peace. And  I pray that justice will come to you finally. Because you are still missing.... and it's time to come home...

ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS SOLELY OBTAINED BY ME AND IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. IT MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ME, LEIGH CLIFTON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED   © 2013

Steuben County DA Brooks Baker to File Appeal in Grand Larceny Ruling

David Perry, the only suspect in the case of missing and presumed murdered St. Petersburg Florida Police cadet Kelly Rothwell has been sitting in a jail cell in Broome County, New York, awaiting trial on charges of Grand Larceny and Fraud.
..
The charges stem from an alleged Work Comp related injury at the Elmira Correctional Facility where Perry was employed as a Corrections Officer. Perry claimed to have been injured while helping to subdue an inmate, although numerous accounts say he was never in the inmate's cell and had no contact with him. He has collected over $350,000.00 in payments for his "injury" including a pension from the state of New York.

Last April, Perry attacked an inmate at the Steuben County Jail, putting the inmate in the hospital with a head laceration. Ironically, Perry himself claimed injury, citing his back was re-injured (coincidentally the same injury he allegedly sustained in the 2003 jail incident.)

According to Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker, Perry has recently been arraigned on  Felony Assault indictment from the jail assault and an appeal on the reduction of Felony Grand Larceny charges will be filed next week.

Will David Perry be found guilty of the larceny charges? Who knows? It seem that Justice is exceptionally blind when it comes to his cases up in New York. How someone like him seems to be skating along without repudiation is a mystery to everyone, especially those  have  felt his wrath firsthand and lived in fear of him.

Next month marks the two year anniversary of Kelly Rothwell going "missing".
When will SHE get justice? When will Florida law enforcement place this case as a priority, especially since it was one of their own? Why have they been essentially silent for TWO years?

Because Kelly Rothwell is STILL missing.... and she deserves better than this..

This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2013

David Perry Moved from Steuben Jail to Broome County to Face Charges There

 In what at first appeared to be a stunning miscarriage of justice, David Perry was released from the Steuben County jail today, where he was being held on Fraud and Larceny charges stemming from allegations he bilked the State of New York out of over $300 grand in disability payments.

But not so fast people; Perry was  MOVED to the Broome County jail, where he is was initially charged with the same similar Fraud and Larceny charges and is  presently being held there to face those first. According to a jail spokesperson, Perry was moved to Broome on a Bench Warrant from Judge Martin Smith, the same judge who allowed Perry to go to Hawaii for a month last year where he married Melissa Walker, a woman he met on Craig's List. Perry still must answer as well to charges of  Felony Assault on a prisoner while he was at the Steuben County jail last year.

Steuben County DA Brooks Baker explained that even though the prisoner that Perry assaulted may decline to press charges, the State is the one who ultimately decides whether Perry will face a judge on those charges.

 Last November, a judge awarded Perry back his seized assets including money totaling over $124,000 in small bills hidden behind a dresser that Perry never claimed in his financial statement to the court, as well as a brand new copper colored Honda he paid for with cash, snow mobiles, motorcycles and other sundry items... ALL purchased with money from where? His disability benefits? Hardly...
There is no information that Perry has actually received any of the cash plus interest back into his accounts.

Perhaps he had a side job?  Was that where he was getting his extra cha-ching?

Well, don't get too cocky Perry.

I hope you enjoy your Broome County jail cell.. I wonder if its the same one you had before?

Now wouldn't that be special for you?

David Perry is and always has been the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of St. Petersburg police cadet Kelly Rothwell, who went missing almost two years ago on March 11, 2010 after going home to their Indian Rocks Beach, Florida condo to break up with her then boyfriend of three years, David Perry.
She was never seen again. Perry has refused to answer any questions about Kelly or her disappearance and he remains the last person to see her alive.

Meanwhile, Kelly is still missing... and Perry needs to answer for it.

Court Order Awards David Perry Seized Assets, with Interest

In a Court Order on Tuesday, Judge Joseph Latham awarded David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of his then girlfriend Police cadet Kelly Rothwell in Florida, the seized assets that law enforcement had taken from him in a raid of his house in March of 2012. Perry has been indicted twice on Felony Grand Larceny charges in for faking an injury in 2003 on the job while working as a corrections officer at the Elmira State Prison Facility in Elmira, New York. The seizure of assets, including money, vehicles and Perry’s Elmira home were part of the Fraud investigation into the Work Comp injury.

 In this newest and inexplicable and baffling move by the NY Court system that has ignored so much evidence clearly in front of them, Judge Joseph Latham, who signed the search warrant for Perry's home in March, has awarded Perry and his attorney John Scanlon the assets seized of Perry's including the $128, 00.00 cash found hidden in Perry's house, interest on that cash amount held by the state, Perry’s vehicles as well as the house itself. This despite outstanding felony Grand Larceny charges brought about by two counties; Broome and Steuben in NY for Work Comp fraud stemming from an alleged 2003 work-related accident that many allege never happened at Elmira Correctional Facility, where Perry was a Corrections Officer at the time. At the time of his arrest in March of this year, Perry failed to disclose the money when asked by the court if he had any additional monetary assets.

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Last July, Broome County, Judge Smith allowed Perry to leave  to go to Hawaii to marry Melissa Walker, a woman he met on Craig's List supposedly months AFTER his then girlfriend Kelly Rothwell went "missing " from their shared Florida condo in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, despite the fact that he is the ONLY suspect in her disappearance and probable murder. 

Additionally, and as an aside, Perry took Melissa Walker’s surname of Walker as his own; changing it and then on his return to New York, getting a New York driver's license in the name of David Walker. Not so coincidentally perhaps is that Perry ALSO obtained an Enhanced Driver’s License or EDL in the name of David Walker in February of 2012, almost exactly 6 months after he married Melissa Walker and took her name. Coincidentally it usually takes 6 months to actually get an EDL and/ or an International driver’s license. According to DMV.ORG, EDLs are only accepted at land and sea border crossings, not for air travel. The license contains radio-frequency micro chipping that uniquely identifies you in CBP databases, (Custom Border Protection,) which should promote a more expeditious cross. EDLs will be approved forms of identification, in full compliance with the new WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) security measures.  Could Melissa Walker have been an avenue by which Perry was able to obtain that license?  Could that be the main reason he married her? In late January/early February, Perry listed his house on the market; the SAME house he used as collateral for bail, AND bought a brand new $25, 00.00 Honda with CASH. Can you say Mexico? I wrote a blog outlining what I thought Perry might do; in it I concluded that he must have been getting ready to take off to Mexico …

In a sworn affidavit, Melissa Walker later told authorities that Perry was getting ready to run off to Mexico. This statement comes from the woman who married Perry just months after he met her on Craig’s List. Walker, a National Guard Reservist, was conveniently stationed in Hawaii, where Perry has always wanted to live, shortly after they met. Perry flew there to marry her earlier this year. When Kelly went missing, Walker was questioned by police as to her possible involvement or knowledge. She denied knowing anything about Kelly’s disappearance and declared that she still loved Perry but would be divorcing him, all the while still keeping in touch with him.

 Yet there is still no divorce decree that says she ever divorced him, despite her numerous protestations to the contrary. Could she be a part of Kelly’s disappearance and the cover up? What did she or does she know about it?

Now another New York judge, Acting Supreme Court Justice Hon. Joseph Latham, has decided that Perry, who had $128,000.00 HIDDEN under a dresser, money, which, by the way that he did NOT declare he had in his possession when asked by the court, is allowed to have it all back because Steuben County DA Brooks Baker didn’t present enough evidence, evidence he HAD in his possession, to convince a judge that Perry obtained the money illegally by faking  a Work Comp- related injury for which he received over $340,000.00 in benefits and pension. Perry also receives Social Security benefits due to the alleged injury as well.

According to the Order, the DA only used two of a potential 16 witnesses’ testimonies; Daniel Kalec, a Corrections Officer, who was in the cell the night that Perry said he hurt his back on an inmate’s bed after a struggle with the inmate, and CO Sgt. Andrew Pedalty, who lives near Perry’s Elmira home. Pedalty saw Perry numerous times riding his bike, running and kayaking, all the while claiming to have hurt his back in the 2003 “inmate altercation”. There are also photos of Perry kite sailing and running in Florida that were provided to the DA, but it is unknown if these were ever presented as evidence. There were several other signed affidavits by other CO’s, those who witnessed the altercation that Perry was never a part of but for some reason, these were not presented as evidence.  CO Craig Mosher is one that was never asked to testify even though he was present and could have refuted Perry’s testimony to Work Comp about the alleged injury that day in October 2003. Why?

During the September 5, 2012 hearing in front of Judge Latham on the seizure of assets matter, Perry remained mute to every question, invoking his 5^th Amendment right to refuse to answer so he wouldn’t incriminate himself. Abject of that, DA Baker had no real way to prove anything other than to present what the judge’s order characterized as limited. Investigator Eric Hurd, who has been on this case since the beginning, did not testify either, but provided background information on Kalec’s statement. Why wasn’t he called to testify? Is it possible that DA Baker is holding that both Hurd’s and other witnesses testimonies for the criminal part of this investigation?

One would hope so… but he better do it quick. He is quickly losing any momentum and the time is now to present what he’s got in the way of evidence or Perry will once again get away with about a scratch.

There IS still the issue of the Assault charge that Perry has pending from a fight with James Hargraves, an inmate at the Steuben County jail that Perry put in the hospital with a head laceration; Steuben County is still prosecuting him on that charge. But maybe the judge will just chalk THAT up to good ole’ fashioned hijinks among prisoners and let that slide too…there is absolutely NO telling what these New York judges will do from one day to the next…

Kelly Rothwell, a St. Petersburg Police Academy police cadet, one month from graduation, went missing the evening of Saturday, March 12, 2011 when she left a friend's house to go home to break up with Perry after a stormy three year relationship. Perry has a documented history of domestic and child abuse violence. Kelly, a dependable, steady class attendant at the Academy, had never missed a day of classes. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Perry, who has been described by Rothwell to her family as domineering, controlling, possessive, and abusive, is still the only suspect in her disappearance and probable murder. He took off to New York the same day Rothwell came home to break up with him. Downstairs neighbor Ken Williamson and his wife heard loud thumping on their ceiling, followed by incessant vacuuming. Shortly after that, Perry took off for New York, then left almost immediately after stopping in Elmira and telling his daughter Britney and her husband who were living in his Elmira home ‘not to listen to what people might say about me.” He was tracked to Oklahoma, but from there no one knows where he went. He returned about three days later. More on this in the next blog.

Judge Latham can be reached at:

 Steuben County Court and Family Court 

3 East Pulteney Square
Bath, NY 14823 
(607) 776-9631

I swear, you can’t make this stuff up.

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is still missing and Perry remains the only suspect in her disappearance.
This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

Second Grand Jury Re-Indicts David Perry on Felony Grand Larceny Charges

David Perry, currently in Steuben County Jail on Felony Fraud charges was re-indicted last week by a second Grand Jury on Felony Fraud charges in Broome County stemming from a Work Comp related injury. Those charges were reduced earlier this month after the judge in the case found that the amount of money the State claimed that Perry was awarded was not  high enough to warrant a felony charge. However, Broome County  ADA Sandra Cardone was given 30 days to make her case again and she once again was able to prove the higher charges.

  According to Steuben County Brooks Baker, Perry will be transported  from the Steuben County Jail, where he currently resides, back to Broome County where he will be arraigned on the newer charges. Perry is  charged on separate Felony Fraud charges in Steuben COunty as well as an assault charge on a fellow prisoner. His bail was revoked after police found $128,000 hidden in his home after he had claimed indigence.

 Perry claimed that in October of 2003, he was injured in an altercation with an inmate at the Elmira Correctional Facility where he worked as a Corrections Officer. He claimed to have been part of a group of officers who were set to respond to a "red dot"; a call that there is fight in the prison. But witnesses who were at the fight testified that Perry never touched the inmate, except to escort him to the infirmary well after the fight was over. Prison rules dictate that any CO involved with an inmate altercation should have no further contact with that inmate until the incident is investigated.
Perry claimed disability and retired with a disability pension from the New York State Pension Fund of over $340,000.00,Work Comp benefits and Social Security Disability benefits.

Perry had been know to brag to his fellow CO's that he made over $7000 a month and offered to show several of them a brochure on how to get away with a disability claim.

Perry moved to Indian Rocks Beach Florida after he met Kelly Rothwell at a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant while vacationing in Florida. He moved in with Kelly at her beach condo within weeks.

After an often tumultuous three year relationship, Kelly, who had since then joined the St. Pete Police Academy, went home on Saturday, March 12, 2011 after a weekend with a friend purportedly to break up with Perry, who was controlling, possessive and violent. Downstairs neighbors reported hearing loud banging noises from Kelly's apartment above them, then extensive vacuuming. Perry was known to have Obsessive Compulsive disorder and was a clean fanatic.When sheriffs were called to do a home check on Sunday morning, March 13, 2011, they were hit with a very strong odor of disinfectant and bleach. Kelly was missing and Perry was nowhere to be found. Later that morning Perry answered a phone call from Kelly's sister Lauren with the words "Where is Kelly?"even though word has not yet gotten out about her disappearance. Perry has suddenly left Florida and was on route back to Elmira, N.Y. where he had a house. He has refused to cooperate with police and refuses to answer any questions about his actions on the day that Kelly disappeared.

 Kelly Rothwell was never seen again. David Perry is the only suspect in her disappearance and probable murder. Perry is being held in the Steuben County Jail.
This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

Charges Reduced in David Perry's Broome County Fraud Case

David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance of Police cadet Kelly Rothwell , of Indian Rocks Beach,FL had fraud charges in New York State reduced to misdemeanor charges on Wednesday after Perry's attorney, John Scanlon convinced the judge that some of the testimony by Perry's co-workers was based on hearsay and not evidence.

Perry was originally charged with Felony Insurance Fraud in Broome County, N.Y. after a  Grand Jury met in February to hear those witnesses testify to charges that Perry, an ex Corrections Officer at the Elmira prison, faked his injuries from an alleged struggle with an inmate. Perry was then able to obtain Workman’s Comp benefits as he was out on disability and not retirement. The charges in Broome County related to those Work Comp benefits he received after his alleged injury, an injury his coworkers maintain did not happen. He is facing similar charges in Steuben County, N.Y. where the State Pension Fund is located. Perry also received his pension at a higher rate because he filed for disability, not retirement. Those charges, as well as a Felony assault charge he is facing from a fight with an inmate at the Steuben County jail, are still pending.

Apparently. the Broome County ADA Sandra Cardone failed to put ALL the witnesses on the stand that actually witnessed the altercation, excluding the Watch Commander, who heard Perry say that he" hoped the fight wasn't over yet", and another, CO who heard Perry say " See ya guys, that's my ticket outta here. I won't be back" when the call, a Red Dot" came over the radio. Only certain CO's, picked at the beginning of the shifts, are to respond to that particular call; they are the ones assigned to monitor and respond  to any altercation.

David Perry was not one of those COs. And it is still unclear why he picked that time to respond; he had to travel from his position in the jail, a long way to where the fight took place.

It makes one wonder if he staged the whole incident as he seemed to know that he would never step foot in Elmira prison again. He claimed his injury was a result of that fight with the inmate, even though several COs who were in the cell and present at the time told the Grand Jury that Perry never actually had contact with the inmate.

So why didn't the ADA use the eyes-on testimony of the people who were there? Perhaps if she had, the  testimony would have been more compelling and Perry would not be skating his way out of Felony charges.One would argue that she could have made for a stronger case. The judges in that part N.Y. seem especially lenient as well; last year Judge Martin Smith, knowing that Perry was a suspect in a probable homicide, allowed Perry to go to Hawaii  for a month, where Perry then married Melissa Walker, taking her last name. Kelly went missing in March and by late July was married to someone he had met on Craig's List.

Meanwhile, Perry sits in the Steuben County jail. It is widely suspected that Perry, who lived in Florida with Kelly Rothwell, killed her on March 12, 2011 when she went home to break up with him. He is a suspect in her case but has yet to be charged by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department. And no one knows why...

 It's been almost 17 months since Kelly Rothwell's disappearance.

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is STILL MISSING....

 This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

David Perry’s Broome County Bond Revoked at Bail Hearing Today

David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of his then-girlfriend St. Petersburg Police Cadet KellyRothwell appeared in a bail hearing before Judge Martin Smith in Broome County,New York court this morning.

Perry, transported from the Steuben County Jail where he is currently being held on almost identical Fraud and Larceny charges as Broome County, appeared with his attorney John Scanlon in the Broome County courtroom.Perry is charged in Broome County on charges of Felony Grand Larceny and Insurance Fraud related to a Workman’s Comp claim of injury while he was a Corrections Officer at the Elmira Correctional Facility in Elmira, New York. He is charged in Steuben County because the New York State Pension Fund deposited his Pension fund checks at a bank there.

The charges stem from Broome County because Perry has been collecting Work Comp benefits, which are paid out by the New York State Insurance Fund, where the NY State Insurance fund is located. He was arrested on those charges last June, made bond and was living in his house at 1708 West Church Street in Elmira.

The State of New York re-arrested Perry on Felony Grand Larceny and Fraud charges related to the Pension Fund on March 13, 2012, a year and a day after Kelly Rothwell went missing in Florida after she tried to break up with him.

Last month, Perry was arrested again, in the Steuben County jail, for a jail fight that sent an inmate to the hospital with serious head injuries. Perry was charged with Felony Assault and is awaiting trial for that charge as well.

Citing that assault charge as proof of Perry’s violation of his bail stipulations, Judge Smith formally revoked Perry’s Broome County bail. Perry was transported back to Steuben where he waits for his trial for the Pension Fund and Felony Assault charges. After that trial ends, said the judge, Perry will be transported back to Broome County where he will sit in jail until those charges are answered to as well.

Judge Smith told the court that a trial is scheduled for the next 90 days. It was unclear if he was talking about the Broome County or the Steuben cases.

This is the same Judge Martin Smith who allowed Perry to travel to Hawaii last year to visit his now-wife Melissa Walker. They are still married.

Either way, David Perry will NOT be going anywhere anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell will be missing one year and two months tomorrow. It’s time to bring her home and her killer to justice.

This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

Oops, There Goes All the Toys…. An Editorial

In a Court Order on Tuesday, Judge Joseph Latham awarded David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of his then girlfriend Police cadet Kelly Rothwell in Florida, the seized assets that law enforcement had taken from him in a raid of his house in March of 2012. Perry has been indicted twice on Felony Grand Larceny charges in for faking an injury in 2003 on the job while working as a corrections officer at the Elmira State Prison Facility in Elmira, New York. The seizure of assets, including money, vehicles and Perry’s Elmira home were part of the Fraud investigation into the Work Comp injury.

 In this newest and inexplicable and baffling move by the NY Court system that has ignored so much evidence clearly in front of them, Judge Joseph Latham, who signed the search warrant for Perry's home in March, has awarded Perry and his attorney John Scanlon the assets seized of Perry's including the $128, 00.00 cash found hidden in Perry's house, interest on that cash amount held by the state, Perry’s vehicles as well as the house itself. This despite outstanding felony Grand Larceny charges brought about by two counties; Broome and Steuben in NY for Work Comp fraud stemming from an alleged 2003 work-related accident that many allege never happened at Elmira Correctional Facility, where Perry was a Corrections Officer at the time. At the time of his arrest in March of this year, Perry failed to disclose the money when asked by the court if he had any additional monetary assets.

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Last July, Broome County, Judge Smith allowed Perry to leave  to go to Hawaii to marry Melissa Walker, a woman he met on Craig's List supposedly months AFTER his then girlfriend Kelly Rothwell went "missing " from their shared Florida condo in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, despite the fact that he is the ONLY suspect in her disappearance and probable murder. 

Additionally, and as an aside, Perry took Melissa Walker’s surname of Walker as his own; changing it and then on his return to New York, getting a New York driver's license in the name of David Walker. Not so coincidentally perhaps is that Perry ALSO obtained an Enhanced Driver’s License or EDL in the name of David Walker in February of 2012, almost exactly 6 months after he married Melissa Walker and took her name. Coincidentally it usually takes 6 months to actually get an EDL and/ or an International driver’s license. According to DMV.ORG, EDLs are only accepted at land and sea border crossings, not for air travel. The license contains radio-frequency micro chipping that uniquely identifies you in CBP databases, (Custom Border Protection,) which should promote a more expeditious cross. EDLs will be approved forms of identification, in full compliance with the new WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) security measures.  Could Melissa Walker have been an avenue by which Perry was able to obtain that license?  Could that be the main reason he married her? In late January/early February, Perry listed his house on the market; the SAME house he used as collateral for bail, AND bought a brand new $25, 00.00 Honda with CASH. Can you say Mexico? I wrote a blog outlining what I thought Perry might do; in it I concluded that he must have been getting ready to take off to Mexico …

In a sworn affidavit, Melissa Walker later told authorities that Perry was getting ready to run off to Mexico. This statement comes from the woman who married Perry just months after he met her on Craig’s List. Walker, a National Guard Reservist, was conveniently stationed in Hawaii, where Perry has always wanted to live, shortly after they met. Perry flew there to marry her earlier this year. When Kelly went missing, Walker was questioned by police as to her possible involvement or knowledge. She denied knowing anything about Kelly’s disappearance and declared that she still loved Perry but would be divorcing him, all the while still keeping in touch with him.

 Yet there is still no divorce decree that says she ever divorced him, despite her numerous protestations to the contrary. Could she be a part of Kelly’s disappearance and the cover up? What did she or does she know about it?

Now another New York judge, Acting Supreme Court Justice Hon. Joseph Latham, has decided that Perry, who had $128,000.00 HIDDEN under a dresser, money, which, by the way that he did NOT declare he had in his possession when asked by the court, is allowed to have it all back because Steuben County DA Brooks Baker didn’t present enough evidence, evidence he HAD in his possession, to convince a judge that Perry obtained the money illegally by faking  a Work Comp- related injury for which he received over $340,000.00 in benefits and pension. Perry also receives Social Security benefits due to the alleged injury as well.

According to the Order, the DA only used two of a potential 16 witnesses’ testimonies; Daniel Kalec, a Corrections Officer, who was in the cell the night that Perry said he hurt his back on an inmate’s bed after a struggle with the inmate, and CO Sgt. Andrew Pedalty, who lives near Perry’s Elmira home. Pedalty saw Perry numerous times riding his bike, running and kayaking, all the while claiming to have hurt his back in the 2003 “inmate altercation”. There are also photos of Perry kite sailing and running in Florida that were provided to the DA, but it is unknown if these were ever presented as evidence. There were several other signed affidavits by other CO’s, those who witnessed the altercation that Perry was never a part of but for some reason, these were not presented as evidence.  CO Craig Mosher is one that was never asked to testify even though he was present and could have refuted Perry’s testimony to Work Comp about the alleged injury that day in October 2003. Why?

During the September 5, 2012 hearing in front of Judge Latham on the seizure of assets matter, Perry remained mute to every question, invoking his 5^th Amendment right to refuse to answer so he wouldn’t incriminate himself. Abject of that, DA Baker had no real way to prove anything other than to present what the judge’s order characterized as limited. Investigator Eric Hurd, who has been on this case since the beginning, did not testify either, but provided background information on Kalec’s statement. Why wasn’t he called to testify? Is it possible that DA Baker is holding that both Hurd’s and other witnesses testimonies for the criminal part of this investigation?

One would hope so… but he better do it quick. He is quickly losing any momentum and the time is now to present what he’s got in the way of evidence or Perry will once again get away with about a scratch.

There IS still the issue of the Assault charge that Perry has pending from a fight with James Hargraves, an inmate at the Steuben County jail that Perry put in the hospital with a head laceration; Steuben County is still prosecuting him on that charge. But maybe the judge will just chalk THAT up to good ole’ fashioned hijinks among prisoners and let that slide too…there is absolutely NO telling what these New York judges will do from one day to the next…

Kelly Rothwell, a St. Petersburg Police Academy police cadet, one month from graduation, went missing the evening of Saturday, March 12, 2011 when she left a friend's house to go home to break up with Perry after a stormy three year relationship. Perry has a documented history of domestic and child abuse violence. Kelly, a dependable, steady class attendant at the Academy, had never missed a day of classes. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Perry, who has been described by Rothwell to her family as domineering, controlling, possessive, and abusive, is still the only suspect in her disappearance and probable murder. He took off to New York the same day Rothwell came home to break up with him. Downstairs neighbor Ken Williamson and his wife heard loud thumping on their ceiling, followed by incessant vacuuming. Shortly after that, Perry took off for New York, then left almost immediately after stopping in Elmira and telling his daughter Britney and her husband who were living in his Elmira home ‘not to listen to what people might say about me.” He was tracked to Oklahoma, but from there no one knows where he went. He returned about three days later. More on this in the next blog.

Judge Latham can be reached at:

 Steuben County Court and Family Court 

3 East Pulteney Square
Bath, NY 14823 
(607) 776-9631

I swear, you can’t make this stuff up.

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is still missing and Perry remains the only suspect in her disappearance.

This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

Perry's House Surrounded by State Police

Perry’s House Surrounded by State Police, Search Warrant Issued to Search the House.

As I write this, Perry’s house is surrounded by 5 marked State police cars, 4 unmarked State Police cars (one with K9) and officers have been in the house for a few hours. Meanwhile Perry is hoping to leave Steuben County jail for a quiet life at home.
Good luck with that… Broome County will next exercise THEIR warrant for his revoked bond…
It’s not clear what the police are searching for but possibly it could be for a passport or some hidden extra papers. But not so fast Dave...

It seems that once again, like a slithering snake in a veritable jungle, David Perry has managed to get his bail reduced during a Motions hearing for a CIVIL matter in which NO bail application was sent before the judge. His bond in Steuben is now $25,000.00 personal and $50,000.00 for the house. What the hell is happening in Mayberry, Opie?

Today’s appearance was to discuss the terms of Perry’s forfeiture of assets, a CIVIL matter which should NOT have contained any bail discussion, which is criminal. I guess, in the interest of expediency, lack of understanding of the jurisprudence process, sheer boredom, whatever, Perry’s attorney was able to introduce an “Oh by the way, Judge, while you’re here, can we talk bail for my perfectly RESPECTABLE client, etc..”
Unfortunately, DA Brooks Baker is out of town and didn’t attend the hearing. Had he been there, I’m SURE that he would been able to impart the wisdom of letting someone of Perry’s caliber back out on the street.

What did ya hide in the house Dave? A body, perhaps? Another suitcase full of cash and a passport? Divorce papers??

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is still missing...


This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

David Perry to Face Judge Monday on Motions Related to His Assets Forfeiture

David Perry, who is being held at the Steuben County Jail on felony grand larceny charges, will face a judge Monday morning as the judge will hear motions on the forfeiture of assets imposed upon him almost two weeks ago. Perry's house has a $200,000.00 lien on it, his bank accounts have been frozen and his vehicles confiscated. His daughter Britney,with whom Perry was living, is also under scrutiny for her possible involvement in the hiding of Perry's other monetary assets.

Perry, who remains the only suspect in the case of missing and presumed murdered Police cadet Kelly Rothwell in Indian Rocks Beach Florida, will stand with his public defender Jason Vichinsky in court. But bail won't come up. At least it shouldn't.....

“This is not a bail hearing,” said DA Brooks Baker’s confidential secretary on Friday. “This part ONLY relates to the civil matter of the forfeiture of assets, not the criminal matter of the grand larceny charges. As of today (Friday) there had been no bail application sent to the court and there is nothing on the court’s calendar,” she said.

Apparently, an application for bail must be sent to the judge which puts a notice to the judge that Vichinsky would want a bail hearing for Perry in order to negotiate a lower bail. Perry is currently being held on $100,000.00 bond, because DA Baker feels that Perry is a definite flight risk.

Perry had bought a brand new Honda with almost $25,000 in cash, was able to obtain an international drivers license with the name David Walker and had a contract with a buyer for his house in Elmira, NY. That home was the collateral Perry used to post bond in Broome County on the FIRST set of felony grand larceny charges, stemming from the NY State Insurance Fund, who paid Perry his Work Comp benefits on an alleged injury. Walker is the last name of his wife Melissa Walker who has still not divorced Perry. Perry married her in August in Hawaii and obtained a Hawaii drivers license at that time with the last name Walker.

Friday afternoon, I learned from a confidential source that the bail on Perry from Broome County had been revoked. Perry will no longer be able to use his home as collateral and will now be on the hook for the full $25,000.00 bond.

According to a source, it actually makes more sense for Perry to remain in jail, as he would get no credit for time served if released to Broome County’s jail.

Currently, if there any Broome County court proceedings that Perry must attend, Broome County must go to Steuben County and transport him there and back.

But time is not on David Perry’s side. With his OCD, one wonders how long he can stand the filth. I wonder did anybody bring him any birthday cake today on a jail tin...

Strange to have someone so evil have a birthday on the Lord’s Day, don’t ya think?

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is still missing….



This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

David Perry to Remain in Steuben County Jail, Charges Stick!

David Perry was arraigned this afternoon in Steuben County NY on Grand Larceny charges stemming from allegations that he collected Work Comp and Pension benefits from a fraudulent injury in October 2003.
A secret Grand Jury met in February to hear several witnesses testify to charges that Perry, an ex Corrections Officer at the Elmira prison, faked his injuries from an alleged struggle with an inmate. Perry was then able to obtain Workman’s Comp benefits as well as a larger portion of his pension, as he was out on disability and not retirement. It is the NY State Pension Fund, located in Steuben County that charged him in this matter. He is also facing almost identical charges in Broome County, where the NY State Insurance Fund is located.

Perry was arrested last Tuesday afternoon and arraigned before a judge. However, Perry stopped the proceedings, refused the offer of a Public Defender and instead said he would hire his own attorney. Today’s hearing was the first available on Judge Latham’s docket. Consequently, Perry has spent 8 days in jail.


How Perry would have been able to pay for an attorney remains a mystery. He was served with forfeiture of asset papers, which means that his bank accounts were to be frozen, the deed to his house held (and the pending sales contact negated), with a $200,000 lien bond placed on the property and his other assets, including a brand new car and a motorcycle were to be confiscated.

Apparently frozen assets put a serious crimp in Perry's spending habits;Perry was assigned Public Defender Jason Vichinsky. He has pleaded NOT GUILTY to the Grand Larceny charges and will remain in jail until April 9th when a bail hearing will be set. I mean, even a blind man can see he's guilty....

David Perry to Face Judge Latham, District Attorney Brooks Baker at 2 PM Wednesday in Steuben County, N.Y.

David Perry rolls the dice again today at 2 PM when he faces Judge Joseph Latham of Steuben County to answer a second set of charges of Grand larceny. Initially given a bail of $100,000 cash and a $200,000 bond on his property, Perry appeared at his arraignment last Tuesday after his arrest by New York State troopers and assisted by the West Elmira PD at his home in Elmira, NY. But he stopped the proceedings and insisted on hiring an attorney before the arraignment was finished. So Perry has sat in jail for over a week, waiting for his day in court.

This SHOULD be getting to feel like “old hat” for Perry, as this is his second arrest for Felony Grand Larceny charges; the first time was in June of last year, when he was arrested in Broome County on the same set of charges. Then Perry used his home on West Church Street in Elmira as collateral for the bail bond. Now it has come to light that he was also served with asset forfeiture papers; his assets are supposed to be frozen and his car, home and motorcycle seized. One wonders how he could possible even get out of jail, even if his present bond is reduced; since the home he lived in was seized as an asset, shouldn’t that make his first bail revocable, as it was used to secure his bond? And if he got out tomorrow, would Broome County take another shot at him and put him back in THEIR jail?

Perry was trying to sell his house; indeed there was a rumor that a contract was imminent. Now there is a big bond on the home and his shiny new car, bought with cash, as well as his motorcycle, should all become part of those assets being frozen, as well as his bank accounts in several counties.

So where will Perry GET the money to buy a lawyer for his arraignment tomorrow? Rumors were swirling that his (ex) wife Melissa Walker was to have been back in his life and that she might be the one to bail him out. Certainly she has denied this in posts to this blog. Indeed, I received one this afternoon; it was in response to someone asked for her to give an antique diamond ring back to the Rothwell family. Here is what she said:


“Dave did not give that ring to me, nor did I ever see such a ring or any other for that matter. Of course I would have returned it to her family. I would have gone to detective Bailey If I had received it. I would have gone to detective Bailey had Dave behaved suspiciously or given me any information about this case. This is something I can promise you. Dave would know this because he knows the type of person I am.
Thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers. I will not return to Dave.
I have a couple words about my sister. She has been going through a lot lately. I think her health matters may be contributing to her actions. My sister and I are not the concern here. This is about Kelly. She is in my thoughts and prayers. Her family and friends are in my prayers.”
Melissa Walker

One wonders what can be going on … will she show up in court tomorrow? Does he have stacks of money hidden somewhere that he can use to bail himself out? Anyone who helps him will become suspect, I believe, as authorities would want to know the origin of any money used for bail.

Stay tuned for updates on the case as they become available.

David Perry, the only suspect in the case of missing Police cadet Kelly Rothwell was arrested last Tuesday on Felony Grand Larceny charges stemming from an alleged injury at work. Perry, who worked at the Elmira Correctional Facility, in Elmira, NY, claimed to have been hurt during an altercation with an inmate in October of 2003. He began receiving work Comp benefits and his pension from the State of New York in 2005. He was originally arrested in June of last year in Broome County of Felony Grand Larceny charges for receiving those benefits while kite surfing, running , kayaking and biking his way through Florida and New York.

I have Comment Moderator on this blog, and no one can see comments left for or by another until I publish them personally. Melissa, I know you’re reading the blogs I’m posting; send me a comment and a way to get a hold of you. It seems that you’ve been answering people’s questions here, so why not here? Tell your side of the story so people can understand it. Let me know.... as I said, anything you write in here is private until I publish it and I am the ONLY one with access to the blog.

One can only hope that David Perry will continue to sit in a dirty, dank jail cell AFTER tomorrow‘s proceedings.

Now THAT would be justice…

Meanwhile, Kelly Rothwell is still missing…...

This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton © 2012

Melissa Walker Answers Her Family, Critics Today

Melissa Walker, the Army Specialist working in Hawaii and who married David Perry, wrote a response to my blog post today. In my post, I was incredulous that, according to her sister Cassie Williams, Melissa was going BACK to David Perry, possibly bail him out of jail and then ‘maybe go on the run with him.’ I expressed my shock and dismay that such an intelligent woman would do something so stupid; to stick by a man who in all probability murdered Kelly Rothwell, defrauded the government of thousands of dollars, severely abused his ex wife and their children and could possibly be mixed up in other nefarious enterprises, based on his constant traveling from Florida to New York and then back again.

Today I received this response from Melissa Walker: QUOTE:

I have heard so many angry words toward me. Any harsh words toward me are not any worse than what I tell myself. Although I have made many pathetic, idiotic choices I have not hurt anyone and would never intend to. Those who are in my life know this and would never question it. With the exception of my older sister, my family and friends are helping me through this. Thank you so much to my loved ones who stand by me through good and bad choices. I will not comment on my older sister. She has to live with herself same as I do. I am haunted by my poor decisions. Since Dave was put back in jail it has given me time away from his words that continuously feed into my insecurities. It is no excuse. I am upset, very regretful, sad, angry, humiliated, and extremely sorry to say the least. Because I realize my weakness in this situation I have changed my number and will do what it takes to keep him out of my life entirely. I thank those of you who are not bashing me. Those who do, it does add to my pain. Despite all of this I will stand back up, because that is what I do. I am so sorry for Kelly (RIP). I will continue to pray for her family and friends as I have done from the beginning. Another thing, none of the above speculations are true. None! Melissa Walker END QUOTE

It seems as if Melissa and her sister Cassie are not seeing eye to eye as to what Melissa’s real intentions are towards David Perry. It seems pretty clear by the above statement that Melissa will NOT be bailing Perry out. But it also seems pretty obvious to me that Melissa Walker would not have written to me if she didn’t believe what she was writing. And it is also abundantly clear that women who meet up with men of Perry’s diabolical intellect DO find it extremely difficult to extricate themselves from these types of relationships.

But I want to answer one critic who said I was blaming Melissa for what I called her incredible stupidity. Melissa was WARNED about David Perry, as one of my viewers commented… the other women were NOT. And I am not blaming Melissa for anything OTHER than not heeding those warnings. I did question whether she knows more than she’s telling about what happened to Kelly. I wouldn’t be a responsible journalist if I didn’t look at EVERYONE connected with this case. I mean EVERYONE.

And I will continue to investigate until Kelly Rothwell is home in Baltimore, Maryland with her family.

After the last blog, I received what I perceived to be a threat from Cassie Williams :
Maybe my sister is makn a horrible horrible mistake ,
However u Lo e the Drama and everything everyone said about you is also true
You can day what u want about my family thrill yourself. But I will also say this a sin is a sin, and GOD don't Luke ugly and he ain't to fond of pretty
either,so keep up ur drama if u like u will meet your maker just as Dave

My response:
Cassie I am not "thrilling" myself “by writing denigrating things about your family. According to your own words you said you couldn't stop your sister from making this grave mistake. How can you really direct your anger at me for what your sister is doing? I acknowledged that you tried to
help your sister. Please don't wish ill on me because of her irresponsible actions. Instead perhaps your family should focus more on why Melissa continues to head down an obvious path of destruction. I feel bad for your family; I reached out to you to help you and her. Instead you told me
half-truths. Please do not blame me for your family's pain. Leigh


Not half truths it was my truth believe me or not I don't care
Like I said giddy don't ugly period
U are blocked don't waste ur time, but u lied to le to ... you know u and Melissa are similar u Both ate SELFISH u don't care who u HURT as long as u get
a story I pitty you
Start writing about me now....


What I want to know is why Cassie, who herself called in to a TV station to do a phone interview that blasted her sister would now blame ME for it? It’s obvious that Melissa’s response is not what her sister thinks…

What I do know is the Kelly Rothwell is still out there somewhere.

Because Kelly Rothwell is still missing…

This article contains information that was obtained exclusively by me, is copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without my express permission for it's reproduction unless/ and/ or/ is expressly attributed to Leigh Clifton and Tampa Bay Crime Report. Leigh Clifton ©