By Jem Smith
The worst fears of one family were confirmed after the lifeless bodies of Mark and Leticia Frankel, 69 and 50, were found just after midday on Friday, May 21. The couple had been missing for days and search efforts to locate them were unsuccessful. Their bodies were found off a dirt path on the John Smith link road, just behind the Western Paradise community. Mark and Leticia had been murdered before their bodies were thrown in the area, eventually found after tireless and numerous searches.
Both Leticia and Mark were last seen on Tuesday, May 18, at their home in Sunset Park near the 8 miles community but when phone calls to Leticia went unanswered on Wednesday, the family sensed that something was wrong. One of Leticia’s sisters had apparently visited their home on Thursday and that is when she found the entire place ransacked. On that same day, the couple’s GMC Terrain SUV was found abandoned in a ditch off the John Smith Road, possibly an element of foreshadowing.
When their bodies were finally found, Scenes of Crimes technicians noticed gunshot wounds on the bodies. The bodies were then transported to the medical laboratory on the Boom Road where a post mortem examination was conducted. Commissioner of Police (COMPOL) Chester Williams says that the police will be conducting thorough investigations into this crime but for now, it does seem that the Frankels were victims of a burglary, Mark was apparently someone who offered loans to people and was known to do so in large quantities. It is likely the couple was murdered as a result of culprits attempting to secure money which he may have kept at home. A number of persons are being sought in this incident.
