Police Seek Clues In Ft. Lauderdale Woman's Murder
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Police in Ft. Lauderdale are appealing for the public's help in the murder of a 61-year-old woman who neighbors say was devoted to the 67-year-old man she was caring for and who was known to go out of her way to help out her friends.
Fort Lauderdale Police believe Hyacinth Tucker was killed during the night of New Years Eve inside her apartment at 424 Northwest 15th Terrace. It was an apartment that she shared with the elderly man who she was being paid to take care of.
Police are not revealing how Tucker was killed, but they say that man is not a suspect. He was taken away from the apartment.
Detectives say family members last spoke to Tucker on Friday, december 30th. A friend discovered her body at 7:45 on the morning of January 1st.
"I want the person who did this to be found," said one of Tucker's daughters in a telephone interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench. She asked that she not be identified but she told D'Oench, "My mother was a good person. This should not have happened. I have no idea why it did. She had no enemies."
"My mother raised 2 girls including me and four boys before she came to this country from Jamaica in 1988," said the daughter. "She had a business in Jamaica. My mother was victimized once before. About six months ago, a TV and a VCR were stolen from her apartment. I want to find out how did this."
"She really cared about the man she was taking care of," said the daughter. "One of his family members was paying for that care. She had been caring for him for several years."
The daughter told CBS4 that she planned to speak on camera about her mother's murder on Friday along with other relatives who are flying here from Jamaica.
Neighbors said they are upset and stunned.
"I had no idea," said Karita McCrea. "I spoke to her Friday. That was the last time I heard from her. This threw me for a loop, kind of like deja vu. I said wow."
"This is just bad, real bad, real bad," said another neighbor, Annie Mae Guerin, while shaking her head. "Someone should do something about it."
"She was very nice," said Guerin. "She was so nice. She didn't bother anybody. She used to go out and get me my mangoes and my cigarettes. Whoever did this, I feel like he should be punished to the fullest."
Police are circulating a Broward Crimestoppers flyer with Tucker's photo and that mentions the $1,000 reward in this case.
"We would like to hear from anyone who has information about this crime and who has information about the events before Mrs. Tucker's death," said Fort Lauderdale Police detective Travis Mandell. "Somebody has to know who did this and we need to bring this person to justice."
"Whenever someone's life is taken, it is important to get to the bottom of this and find out what happened," Mandell said.
InvestIgators are urging anyone with further information about the homicide tp contact Detective Juan Cabrera at 954-828-5581 or Detective William DeJesus at 954-828-5366 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
