Mystery Around Double Murder of Jewish Couple Deepens as Police Head to Toronto
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A team of Floridia police officers have reportedly travelled to Toronto to investigate the mysterious double murder of Jewish retirees David “Donny” Pichosky and Rochelle Wise.
The couple, who spent the winters in Hallandale Beach, Fla., near Ft. Lauderdale was found dead in their plush condo Jan. 10. Authorities have classified the killings as homicides but have no suspects and have refused to say how they were killed.
Hallandale Beach Police Chief Dwayne Flournoy said the four-member team wants to know more about the beloved couple, but refused to elaborate.
“(We want to) develop the victimology of Donny and Rochelle,” Flournoy said, according to the Toronto Star. “Who were they, what did they do while they were here, what was their background, their past life experiences.”
The team consists of Flournoy, a member of his command staff and two homicide detectives, according to the Jewish Tribune. They will be in Toronto until Thursday.
Although police have remained tight-lipped about the case, the Toronto trip raises the possibility that the couple may have been deliberately targeted by someone.
Police held a meeting for residents of the couple’s condo complex, where townhouses sell for $400,000, but would not reveal any details of the case. They have suggested it is not a random attack and told residents it was unlikely that the killer posed a danger to other residents. They have ruled out a murder-suicide.
Wise, 66, was a well-known figure in the Toronto Jewish community and a longtime administrator at Bialik Hebrew Day School. She founded and ran the popular Crestwood Valley Day Camp for many years before working at Bialik. Pichosky was also active in the community.
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