Four Long Years and Still NO Trace of Kelly Rothwell

It's been four long years since St. Pete Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell went missing after going home after lunch with a friend on a Saturday afternoon to tell her then boyfriend David Perry that she was breaking up with him. 

She was never heard from again.

Perry took off for his hometown of Elmira New York in a rush  later that Saturday and has never answered questions about Kelly's disappearance, nor granted a police interview. Neighbors who lived below the couple reported hearing several loud thumps on their ceiling, then frenetic vacuuming before Perry left hurriedly.  Three months later he married Melissa Walker, an Army Reservist he supposedly met on Craig's List, meeting her briefly in Hawaii to marry her, take her last name, then return to Elmira New York.  Walker divorced Perry a year later, but not before defending him as a "sweet, kind and caring, thoughtful person." 

Kelly was much more than a missing police cadet; she was a sister to Lauren, Lindsay and Kristen, daughter to Nancy and Tom, Aunt to Alex, Hollie and Hannah, ex-wife to Doug, and countless friend to so many... those who grew up and went to school with her in Maryland, those she worked with and was friends with in West Virginia and Colorado and the people whose lives she touched in Florida... Kelly had an impact on so many.

Today the Pinellas County Sheriff's office is no closer to finding Kelly than they were 4 years ago. A perfunctory search of the local area led to little clues and it always boggled everyone that there was not a more strident and thorough search done. After all, Kelly was one of their own, a fellow cadet, soon to be a graduate and out among her peers. But a breakfast held for her to raise money to pay for additional search and rescue efforts fell pathetically flat: and only one of her fellow cadets bothered to even show up.

I have and will always maintain that David Perry, laying in wait for Kelly to come home, killed her as she entered their shared beach-front condo and then, after a frantic cleaning of the condo including bleach and antiseptic chemicals, took Kelly's lifeless body, put her in a canvas sail bag, placed her in the trunk and took off WITH her body to Elmira, New York, his hometown. 

Many people including local law enforcement here in Florida have denigrated this idea, theorizing that NO ONE would drive ALL the way to New York with a body in the trunk. But I think he did; he knew that if there was NO body, there was NO case, at least in Florida. And he was right. He was a former Corrections Officer at a prison, he knows the ropes, knew not to answer ANY questions and ran like a coward when approached by law enforcement. He went back to an area he knew very well, places where he had hunted and fished all his life. I believe Kelly is up there. I believe that she is somewhere on or near the Catherine Trail, a place that Perry was known to have frequented AFTER he moved back home. According to sources, he went there OFTEN.... Being a control freak and OCD sufferer, Perry likes to control every situation and this would be no different. He had a friend with a boat on Lake Seneca, it was his bailiwick and he KNEW that Florida law enforcement  had neither the manpower nor the belief that he could ever do such a thing... drive with the body of the woman who was his 'soul-mate"... the "love of his life" etc etc.
I would bet the farm he did just that. And he's getting away with it.

But not TOTALLY away.. he sits in a jail cell at Clinton, in upstate New York, convicted on Work Comp related fraud charges in two different counties. Sadly although both convictions were a triumph for New York law enforcement, (who by the way, ALL think he killed Kelly and some believe that he brought he up there as well,) Perry received two sentences that were concurrent instead of consecutive. He has at least two years and maybe more before he is eligible for parole.

This is NOT enough time served for a psychopath that killed a beautiful, talented, spirited and loved woman named Kelly Rothwell. Who knows? I know that NO strain of conscience will suddenly make him confess; he has neither soul NOR conscience. He has a violent past, a history of abuse to family, wives and girlfriends. How poignant it is to me that Kelly wanted to make domestic violence a concentration in her law enforcement career. 

So today we sadly commemorate another year gone by without Kelly Rothwell in this world. Her mother Nancy sent me this:
"On this day, March 12, the fourth anniversary of my beautiful daughter Kelly's disappearance, I weep in silence. Four long years of not being able to feel her warm embrace, not being able to have a mother/daughter chat on the phone, hear her adorable giggle or just catch up on what's going on. Kelly was a loving daughter, a caring sister and aunt and a devoted friend to many. She was always a radiant light bringing incredible joy and happiness to her family and friends. This world most definitely lost a wonderful person that day, but what gets me through this wrenching loss is that I know she is one of God's most precious angels... a quote from Rose Kennedy, a mother who suffered many losses in her lifetime-
'It has been said that 'time heals all wounds'... I do  not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.' "

I heard a song today on the radio by James Blunt, called Carry You Home..I thought of Kelly through tears. I pray that her spirit is never forgotten.

                                                           "Carry You Home"

Trouble is her only friend and he's back again.
Makes her body older than it really is.
She says it's high time she went away,
No one's got much to say in this town.
Trouble is the only way is down.
Down, down.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.
I'll carry you home.
If she had wings she would fly away,
And another day God will give her some.
Trouble is the only way is down.
Down, down.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.
I'll carry you home.
And they were all born pretty in New York City tonight,
And someones little girl was taken from the world tonight,
Under the Stars and Stripes.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.

I'll carry you home.

DAVID PERRY PLEADS GUILTY IN SECOND FRAUD TRIAL

 David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probably murder of St. Pete Police Academy Cadet Kelly Rothwell has plead guilty in his second trial for fraud and grand larceny in Steuben County New York Court today. Perry was sentenced to 4 1/2 -12 1/2 years to run concurrently with the Broome County sentence of 4-15 years. Unfortunately, Steuben District Attorney Brooks Baker was unable to get the consecutive sentences, which would have kept Perry in jail for a much longer period of time.

 Perry also forfeited all of the vehicles AND the more than $120,000.00 seized when he was re -arrested at his Elmira home March 13,2012  a year and a day after Kelly went missing and he presumable killed her.

The duplicate set of charges stemmed from a 2003 Work Comp related accident in which Perry claimed to have been injured while helping to subdue a prisoner. The offenses were prosecuted in both counties because the NY State Pensions Fund was located in one, and the bank where the money was deposited from the Pension Fund was located in the other.

But what does this mean for the Pinellas County Sheriff's investigation into Kelly's disappearance? When I called to speak to Det. Mike Bailey, I was told he had retired and the case now belonged to Det. Amy Plourde, who had partnered with him on the case from the start 4 years ago.  As of this writing I am waiting for a call back from Det. Plourde as to what, if any, developments have may have surfaced to help find Kelly or the person who, in all probability, murdered her.

Detectives in New York, who worked tirelessly on getting Perry convicted on the fraud charges all think that Perry killed Kelly Rothwell, but without a body as evidence, the chances are very slim that Perry would ever be brought to trial for her murder. They had tried to provide the Pinellas detectives with as much information about Perry's movement once he got to New York as they could. According to a source, that information was either not utilized or not followed up on with much conviction; whether it was time or distance, no one can be sure.

Craig Mosher, a retired C.O. who worked with Perry and was a catalyst in bringing Perry's fraud to authorities attention had this to say;

"I hadn't heard much about him lately , but this (conviction) is good news. Unfortunately, he will never say a word  about Kelly or what happened to her. He's not that stupid. He knows that if he keeps quiet and they never find her, he'll get away with it."

I have always maintained that Perry took her body to New York him the night he killed her in the condo they shared on Indian Rocks Beach. After a lot of research, my conclusion is based on the fact that he is a control freak; a narcissist who always wants to be in command of any situation. I think he took her to New York because he knew the Pinellas County Sheriff's office had neither the manpower or the resources to look for her up there. And really, where would they even start? Perry WAS tracked to Ohio and Oklahoma by NY State police. But where he went after that is a mystery. Could he have met up with his old friend Jeff,  an ex correction officer ,who had a major drug conviction and was living in Arizona? Could he have had help from any of his other friends in Elmira? One of them has a house on Lake Seneca; that lake is 623 feet deep... he has a boat.. he and Perry worked together at the Elmira Correctional Facility. According to sources, Perry called him when he got into Elmira  later that night, AFTER he had left Florida in a huge hurry, shortly AFTER Kelly Rothwell came home on March 12, 2011 to break up with him.

 And what about the moving receipts that were found among Perry's papers? Apparently  he has paid upwards $6000.00 to a moving company earlier in the week to move his belongings to... where???? Could this be what he had planned all along? Lying in wait for Kelly when she got home,  planning on killing her... knowing that as a police Cadet she had probably found out about some sort of illegal activities, things that Kelly had alluded to one of her sisters in a conversation the year before,.. Canceling his gym membership the week before, telling the manager he was "moving to Hawaii"... then Melissa Walker comes into the picture, a National Guard reservist who just coincidentally is being relocated to .... Hawaii... a girl he met on Craigslist, who he marries just three months after Kelly's "disappearance"?

Melissa Walker divorced Perry in  July of 2013.

Nancy Rothwell, Kelly's mother admits while Perry's conviction isn't exactly closure for her, at least it's something that will adversely affect Perry's life.

"Any time anyone has to forfeit money at least it will have an impact his life. I'm just grateful that he has been in prison for this long.. I appreciate the time that he's  been where he is.. at least he can't hurt anybody else right now, " Nancy said. She was also surprised to learn that Det. Mike Bailey has retired and Det. Amy Plourde was now running Kelly's case.

"I've been very disappointed that there has been so little communication from them (the Pinellas County Sheriff's department). I haven't heard from ANY of them in three years, no updates, nothing!" Nancy said. "It would have been professional of them to at least send me a letter or a text or to get a phone call from them about Kelly's case and Detective Bailey. I don't even know what the status of the case is at this point. I feel sorry if other Pinellas County families are going through what ours is if this is how they treat the families of missing people. I know they have my home number, my email address and my home address. But in three years, nothing!"

Nancy is normally a very quiet, private person and her frustration was very evident in her voice as we spoke on the phone today. "A little communication would be professional. The one time I went down  to the Sheriff's office, I got up the nerve to voice my opinion and Det. Plourde promised that she would call me with updates, and stay in touch. I never heard from her again..."

On March 12, 2015, it will be 4 years since Kelly Rothwell went "missing"...and it seems that police are no closer to finding her or what happened to her than they were 4 years ago. 

As of the time of this posting I still have not heard back from Det. Plourde. 

5:57 PM :An update: Nancy Rothwell just sent me a text that she called the Pinellas County Sheriff's office and was told that Det. Bailey was transferred to patrol? I was told by an officer on the phone this afternoon that  he retired. Det. Plourde was sitting in the room  and could hear my conversation.      Hmmmmmm....

Someone out there knows something, heard something, saw something.

Kelly Rothwell needs to come home.          

New York State Police seize Perry's vehicles and other toys.

She Would Have Been 39 Today....

Kelly Rothwell would have been 39 today... she would have been excelling in her chosen career of law enforcement and domestic violence issues. Kelly  would be doing what she did best; caring, helping, advising those who needed it, whether it was a push to leave a bad relationship or securing an undisclosed place to live safely with children. She would have been the one on the front lines, trying to change the often insane world of family violence that is so pervasive today. She would have made such a difference in so many people's lives.

Instead, Kelly Rothwell is missing and presumed murdered by David Perry, her boyfriend at the time. David Perry is an abuser, a controlling manipulative sociopath that Kelly was trying to leave at the time of her disappearance.

As Kelly was going through the St. Petersburg Police Academy in the early spring 2011, she was looking forward to graduating and beginning a new career. As a cadet she was exposed to all of the different modes of law enforcement and, according to her instructors, she seemed to find her calling in the domestic and family issues... she became passionate about being an advocate for the abused and mistreated and planned on making that her concentration. After being constantly  controlled and manipulated by Perry, Kelly recognized that she herself was also, in essence, a victim and decided to do something about it. She decided to leave David Perry... she never got the chance.

 Three weeks before graduation from the Academy, Kelly went home after lunch with a friend to break up with Perry.  She was never heard from again.  Her Academy books and class notes were found in the dumpster behind her condo. Kelly was gone.. just gone.. and David Perry, who often described her as "the love of my life" took off for his hometown, Elmira, New York and refused to answer any questions about Kelly's "disappearance."

Now 4 years later we are no closer to finding her. David Perry is locked up in Clinton, an upstate prison in New York, often known as "Siberia", for felonies related to his Work Comp fraud case, a case that New York detectives worked incredibly hard to prove.. and finally did. They all believe that  he's guilty of murdering Kelly Rothwell. The Pinellas County Sheriff's department, who is handling the case in Florida, seems no closer to resolving this case.

Today family and friends of Kelly Rothwell are remembering her on this, her 39th birthday. They are remembering her wonderful, wide smile and her gentle heart. They are remembering her incredible kindness, her generosity, her silliness and squeaky laugh.  

But her mother Nancy  said it best when she wrote this to me this morning:

"My thoughts are never far from Kelly. I miss our chats, I miss her beautiful smile, I miss her contagious giggle. I miss everything about her, but always try to focus and remember all of the fun times, all of the good and heartwarming memories that can never be taken away. I remember how blessed I am to be Kelly's mom and how blessed we all have been to have had Kelly in our lives. She had a knack to brighten the cloudiest days. She was such a wonderful daughter, sister and aunt and loyal friend to countless others. Her spirit lives on and on. Happy 39th Birthday, my beautiful sweet girl!"

Happy Birthday Kelly.... please know that you are NOT forgotten and that you are missed.

If you have any information that could lead to the whereabouts of Kelly Rothwell , please call the Pinellas County Sheriff's office at 727-582-6200 .

Thank you,  

Leigh Clifton

David Perry May Plead Guilty To All Charges, Avoiding a Second Fraud Trial

David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of St. Pete Florida Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell three years ago may be taking a pleading guilty on all charges and throw himself on the mercy of the Steuben County, N.Y.court. Perry is awaiting a second trial , this time in Steuben County for false instrument for filing, grand larceny and fraud charges stemming from an alleged Work Comp related injury he said he sustained in 2003 while working as a Corrections Officer in the Elmira Correctional  Facility. Perry has already  been convicted in September of 2013 on the same set of charges in Broome County, N.Y. and is currently serving 4-12 years in Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, N.Y.

The charges have been lodged in two different counties because Perry received benefits from the New York State Insurance Fund for Workers Compensation Board, located in Broome County. Perry obtained his 3/4 disability benefits from the New York State and Local Retirement System; he had the funds deposited in a bank in Corning, N.Y. located in Steuben County.

According to Steuben County DA Brooks Baker, he and Judge Joseph  Latham along with Perry's new assigned public defender Jim Faratella, conferenced the case last week.

"He's contemplating an open plea to the entire indictment essentially throwing himself on the mercy of the court begging for concurrent time. We're not sure what's going to happen yet," Baker said.

According to Baker, Perry has an "absolute right" to plead guilty if he wants to.

"If he pleads to the entire indictment as charged  he is talking about pleading guilty to everything he is charged with with no reduction or offer. Essentially he takes me out of the equation. I advocate to the judge for more jail time and he begs the judge for concurrent time. It's up to the judge to decide. The max sentence is 5-15 and it can be either concurrent or consecutive at the judge's discretion."

Baker admits' that it would  likely take 6 months to get to trial but that his time can not be concurrent until he is sentenced.

"He is getting no credit against my time now. Perry is trying to minimize the damage and get it done as soon as possible. He is hoping that the judge would be more lenient than I am. Perry was not present for the conference and the judge made no decision at that time But I did indicate that I want more prison time and will continue to advocate for it."

Sometimes it works for the defendant and sometimes not.  Lets hope in this case that Perry gets the max, consecutive, NOT concurrent sentence, which will keep him in jail a LOT longer. 

Maybe he can use that extra  time to figure out how he will confess to Kelly Rothwell's murder and where he hid her body, so that the Rothwell's can have closure after this incredibly painful ordeal.

Unfortunately for the Rothwells, Perry is a sociopath with no conscience, a narcissist without remorse, guilt or shame.... Lets hope some extra time in prison will make him talk....

Meanwhile Kelly Rothwell is still missing.....

Any information obtained in this article is exclusive and cannot be reproduced without my express permission.© 2014 TAMPABAYCRIMEREPORT.COM

Missing an Angel; Kelly Rothwell’s Family and Close Friends Speak

By Leigh Clifton

It’s been three years, three long years since St. Pete Police cadet Kelly Rothwell went home to break up with her then- boyfriend, David Perry, and was never seen again. Three years since her family and close friends have heard her cheerful voice, seen her wide, infectious smile or felt her comforting, serene presence

Today I want to write about Kelly Rothwell the person; I was privileged to speak to several of Kelly’s closest friends and wanted people to get to know the Kelly that they knew, the Kelly that they remember, with joy and heartache, fondness and laughter and always, ALWAYS with love….. Some spoke to me by phone, some by text and some via FaceBook message. But all had one common thread; Kelly had profoundly touched their lives in immeasurable ways.. She was just that kind of girl…

Erin Hansel has known Kelly since they were in 5 year old kindergarten students together at St. Michaels the Archangels School in Baltimore, Maryland, where Kelly grew up.  She and Kelly spent a lot of time together and their mothers were friends. She remembers spending the night at Kelly’s house in her basement bedroom, playing records and giggling about stuff.  She and Kelly also took pottery classes together at Gardenville  Rec Center.

“I remember her having a Basset hound; they are the ones with the flappy ears that howl, right?” Erin wrote. (Nancy Rothwell told me the dog’s name was Duke.)  Erin also remembers sailing with Kelly and her dad. “She was in heaven out on the water…”

Another one of Kelly’s childhood friends, Janet, told me that she and Kelly used to skate in the roller rink shows at the Gardenville Rec Center in Baltimore.

“When the skaters would perform for each other during the cast party, the members of the group would sometimes exchange costumes with the boys and then skate to their group songs. We all enjoyed that and so did the kids” Janet wrote me. “She was a treasure, a very sweet person…”

Jen Belcastro went to high school with Kelly in the 90’s in Baltimore. She actually knew Kelly’s three sisters better, as Kelly was a few years older than she was.

“What I remember most about Kelly was that she was a free spirit type, a nature lover with a kind heart. A total hippie in high school.. I looked up to her spirit and style.  I think of her often.”

So many of Kelly’s friend’s remembrances run along the same theme… she touched their lives with her kindness and grace.

Melissa Clemons Johnson wrote “Kelly and I went to high school together in Maryland. What I remember most about her was her smile, her warmth, her presence and her self-confidence. She was a very caring person about everyone and everything.  She would have done anything to help you out. She is very missed in all ways but most of all I miss her smile… that’s the part that I miss the most.”

Kelly’s dad, Tom Rothwell  told me the story of taking Kelly and her sisters on his 24 ft boat the “Two-Rific-Too.” Tom had named the boat after seeing a bumper stick about twins (Kelly’s sisters Lindsay and Lauren are fraternal twins) after the girls were born. As a member and officer at the GlenMar Sailing Association in Middle River on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, Tom raced competitively for years and his name is on the High Point perpetual racing trophy,  something he’s won 4 times. When Kelly was little, Tom would sail with her and her sisters to Fairlee Creek on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where a famous Corn Roast was held every year. The Glenmar Sailing Association would supply between 10 and 15 bushels of corn and the charcoal.  Sailors would bring burgers and hotdogs to roast on the fires.

“We would all of us raft up and then spend the night on the boat. The food was great and the people all enjoyed it. In the morning, I would start cooking bacon and eggs… everyone would wake up to the smell of bacon and show up for breakfast! There was always well-over 100 people at these roasts.”

Tom just recently gave the Two-Rific-Too away; it had been sitting in his yard for a while.

“I’ve dealt with Kelly’s loss; I’ve done my crying. I have great memories of taking her sailing as a little kid. That’s what I hold onto.”

Nancy Rothwell, Kelly’s mother, was just grateful to all of Kelly’s friends that gave me remembrances of her.

“It’s wonderful that so many of Kelly’s friends have such fond memories of her,” Nancy spoke through her tears. “I keep her in my heart and I pray for her every day. I try to keep busy but she is always near me. I miss her and love her so very much…Kelly was an amazing young woman who touched the lives of so many people. She had such a passion for life and was such an inspiration to all. Kelly accomplished so much in her abbreviated life and that is a life to be celebrated, not mourned."

In a lighter moment, Nancy recalled Kelly’s 1972 Yellow VW beetle.

“I remember she had flower stickers all over it,” she chuckled. “She was a hippie girl, through and through.”

There are so many people who knew Kelly so well; I tried to contact as many as possible. There are quite a few of Kelly’s friends that live in Colorado, where Kelly lived for a while when she attended Adams State College. One of her best friends there was Amy Gray from Alamosa, Colorado, who spoke to me earlier today and had wonderful memories of her friendship with Kelly.

“I first met Kelly in chemistry class at Adams State College; I was majoring in biology and she was geology major I think. I was instantly drawn to her; her smile could light up a room. She was so intelligent, she taught me a lot about the origins of rocks and the use of light to determine what types of materials the rocks were comprised of.”

Amy laughed as she recalled Kelly’s yellow VW bug. Kelly and her father Tom had driven it out to Colorado.

“She named it Putt-Putt,” she chuckled. “She also used to say Mary Land, instead of Maryland; that used to crack me up so much!”

Amy is still so incredibly saddened by the loss of her friend. She was one of several close friends from Alamosa.

“Kelly was magical, she was a jewel. One year she dressed up as a ladybug for Halloween… she was just so much fun! She loved all things and all people. And her laugh!! She had this wonderful laugh that instantly enveloped you and made you feel absolute love. It was really distinctive. We all just fell in love with her. She was just pure magic.”

Amy also said that Kelly was the consummate hippy.  She was always tooling around town in Putt-Putt; she had pasted big flower stickers all over the car.

“She was so mellow, so cool. Her favorite song was “Wildflowers”, by Tom Petty.  If you listen to the words, you will understand.”

Amy said that the 12^th is a tough day for her. Her son was born on the 10^th of March and says that there is sadness and joy at the same time around this time of year.

“I just can’t believe that she’s no longer on this earth. On the one year anniversary of her “disappearance” a bunch of us from Alamosa went up to Navaho Lake. We did a prayer circle and had a remembrance ceremony in her honor. It’s just so incredibly sad that someone so beautiful would be taken from us. It’s almost as if she was too good, too pure of heart to last in this lifetime. I think of Kelly and her family every day and I pray that they hopefully find some peace. Kelly was just magic…. Just magic…”

Finally, Kelly’s sister Lauren spoke of Kelly and effect she had on her life.

“To be honest… No one knows for sure what will come of this. We can only hope that she is found and justice is served. But I do know, for sure, that I think of her every single day. Good things and bad. And I’m so thankful for the influence she’s had on my life. Her departure did not end our relationship. She will always be my sister and that love never dies.”

There are several others of Kelly Rothwell’s friends that couldn't get back to me in time for this publication. I hope that they read these remembrances and comment on the blog, using their names and how they knew Kelly. It’s a wonderful tribute to this woman, who I never had the honor of knowing, that SO many people were touched by Kelly’s heart.

 I leave you with this last thought.. the words from Wildflowers by Tom Petty. They truly do sum up the essence of Kelly’s spirit…

You belong among the wildflowers

You belong in a boat out at sea

Sail away, kill off the hours

You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, find you a lover

Go away, somewhere all bright and new

I have seen no other

Who compares with you

You belong among the wildflowers

You belong in a boat out at sea

You belong with your love on your arm

You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, go find a lover

Run away, let your heart be your guide

You deserve the deepest of cover

You belong in that home by and by

You belong among the Wildflowers

You belong somewhere close to me

Far away from your trouble and worry

You belong somewhere you feel free

You belong somewhere you feel free…..

STEUBEN COUNTY D.A. WINS APPEAL, PERRY FACES SECOND TRIAL FOR FRAUD, GRAND LARCENY

 David Perry, the only suspect in the disappearance and probable murder of  his then girlfriend St. Pete Police Cadet Kelly Rothwell seems to be getting some karma coming back around to him and there couldn't be a more deserving guy on the planet. Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker will get another shot at David Perry for Fraud and Grand Larceny charges stemming from an  alleged Work-Comp related accident in 2003. Perry who was convicted of those same charges in Broome County and sentenced to 4-12 years originally was also charged with those same offenses in Steuben County. But County Judge Joseph Latham threw out the charges on the grounds that the fraud had not been proven in the Broome County case. With that ruling he also negated the seizure of assets that New York State Police executed against him last year.

 Enter Broome County Asst. DA Sandra Cardone, who was finally able to convict Perry late last year of those charges. Her tenacity, through not one but TWO Grand Juries and two trials resulted in a conviction on Grand Larceny and Fraud charges and a 4-12 year sentence for Perry, who is currently in Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill New York.
Now, with those convictions in hand, DA Baker, who had filed an appeal last year after Judge  Latham's ruling, seemed to have the ammunition needed to propel his argument for Perry's trial in Steuben County.

DA Baker's appeal was argued successfully by John Tunney, who retired after 35 years as the DA of Steuben County and is Baker's mentor. The case was reviewed by the judge who granted the appeal of his original ruling and has been added back into his trial calendar. According to DA Baker, who communicated to me by phone earlier Thursday evening, there is no news yet on an appearance date or what attorney will be representing Perry in this trial.

Also included in this ruling of the appeal is the money that was seized in Perry's house; $128,000 found hidden away as well as his other assets, including the new Honda he bought with cash, his house, (which he tried to sell while it was being used for collateral for his bond), motorcycles and snow mobiles. Baker said that he plans to take the $120 K they have been holding on his conviction.
You might have remembered that Perry ALSO was arrested in an assault charge while in the Steuben County jail. He beat up another prisoner, William Hargrave, with a mop bucket and put him in the hospital with a head laceration. Perry pled guilty on the assault and was sentenced to 9 months in jail. Since he was already IN jail, that case against him is finished. But with the weight of the conviction from Broome County, Perry seems headed for some more jail time. Baker said that if convicted, it will be up to Judge Latham to determine whether any possible sentence would run concurrently or consecutively. Lets hope the latter.

I spoke with Nancy Rothwell, Kelly's mother, Thursday evening to tell her of the developments in Perry's case. She seemed pleased that at least some modicum  of justice for her daughter might still be meted out. As she has said before, she knew Kelly was in a better place. a place where no one could hurt her anymore. There is still such a quiet sadness about Nancy...she grieves in silence. She has no closure, and she doesn't know where her daughter is, only that she's not home where she belongs.

While I know that all of this is probably scant comfort for Kelly's family, at least they and the rest of the world, can rest a bit easier knowing that Perry is off the streets, for now.

Lets hope someone scares the crap out of him in jail, or maybe the thought of more jail time will make him talk and tell police what he did with Kelly's body. I have always maintained that he took her to New York with him right after he killed he in the Indian Rocks Beach condo they rented that March 11th. He is just mentally sick enough to think he's invincible and I think he knew plenty of places he could have hidden her body among the thousands of acres of state parks from New York to Oklahoma, where he had been traced right after be arrived back in Elmira. He has friends out west, in Arizona, who are convicted felons on drug trafficking charges; maybe they helped him...

What is true and irrefutable is that David Perry is still the ONLY suspect in Kelly's disappearance and probable murder.  From where I sit, he deserves  to be where he is sitting for a long, long time.
Lets hope Judge Latham agrees.

The information contained in this blog post was obtained exclusively by me and may NOT be used without my express written consent.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Detectives Visit Elmira Prison Last Monday

A source close to the Elmira Prison in Elmira, New York, where David Perry used to work, said that the detectives from Pinellas County who have been working Kelly Rothwell’s disappearance, Mike Bailey and Amy Plourde Booth were in town last Monday. They stopped by the reception area of the prison and met with law enforcement and possibly inmates that may have had some contact with Perry. Whether they were in town to question those inmates about Perry is unknown, but one could assume so. However, they supposedly also had an unrelated case that they were following in the area.

But it sounds a little far-fetched that two Pinellas County detectives who have worked Kelly’s case for almost three years now would travel to Elmira, New York and visit the very prison that David Perry worked in for an unrelated case, doesn’t it? Elmira is also the reception area for all of the state prisons; any inmate comes there first to be processed and then either stays there or is sent to one of the other detention facilities. Perry was moved from the Broome County Jail after his conviction to the Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, New York…

Perhaps he was running his mouth about what he did to Kelly and the Florida detectives are hoping that someone will come forward… maybe someone already has…

As the three year mark of Kelly’s disappearance looms near, I wonder if the Florida detectives’ presence in New York is a positive sign. But any attempt at a search in a nature preserve or a compost heap this late in the game and in the dead of winter in upstate New York would seem a bit like shutting the barn door after the horse ran out almost three years ago.

Perry is serving a 4-12 year sentence for stealing from Work Comp. So far he already has about two years of time served. According to law enforcement he still must serve another two (to complete the minimum required by the sentence of 4 years) and then he will be on parole after that. When the time comes, wouldn’t it be great if the Parole Board was inundated with letters from concerned citizens who wanted his parole denied. LOTS of letters…

Meanwhile Kelly’s birthday has come and gone….She would have been 38 years old on January 10^th.  Kelly’s mother Nancy, speaking through tears, told me on Kelly’s birthday that she is at least grateful that Perry is in jail. “We miss her every day, but we know she is at peace and that no one can hurt her anymore.”

New billboards spaces with Kelly’s’ face and information have been donated and are up on RT. 19. Although Kelly’s family had no idea they were being put up, Kelly’s sister Lindsay say she hopes that it will generate new interest in Kelly’s case. The billboards made the local news here as well as the local news in the Twin Tiers/Elmira area in New York. It’s a longshot that someone may remember something from almost three years ago based on a billboard however. It’s a shame they didn’t go up right after she went missing. But hope is still alive that someone may step forward and help solve the mystery of Kelly’s disappearance.  

In my opinion, there is no mystery… her killer sits in a New York State jail cell.

Let’s hope he breaks from the pressure and tells her family where he put her body so they can bring her home.

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..

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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.