Authorities found an Ormond Beach, Florida, woman dead Sunday after her daughter received an ominous letter detailing her death.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that an officer discovered the decomposing body of Debra Jean Place, 62, during a 10:41 a.m. wellness check. The officer went to the Ridgecrest Mobile Home Park after Place’s daughter, Millisi Wells, reportedly got a letter from Place’s husband revealing that her mother was dead and he would be soon too, according to police documents.
The officer discovered Place on the living room floor after noticing a partially-opened door in the mobile home, according to the police report.
Investigators noted that the couple’s station wagon was missing. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal , a neighbor told police that they saw the car Saturday but couldn’t identify who was behind the wheel. It is unclear from the news report if that car was parked or in motion when the neighbor saw it.
Authorities identified the deceased woman’s husband, Daniel Place, 72, as a person of interest on Tuesday. Ormond Beach Police spokesman Keith Walker announced that Daniel is currently jailed in New York on an unrelated warrant. The suspect submitted to a mental health evaluation once taken into custody, according to The News-Journal.
“The Ormond Beach police believe this is an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public,” Walker said in a statement.
Authorities are treating Debra’s death as suspicious. It is unclear how long the Florida woman was dead before she was discovered.
Anyone with information about the ongoing case is encouraged to contact the Ormond Beach Police Department at 386-677-0731 or Crime Stoppers (anonymous) at 888-277- 8477.
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