Leta Cordes, 49 Mission Viejo CA - Missing on St. Maarten

[sleddogs]

It was supposed to be like any other of her trips to St. Maarten in the past 10 years, but now friends and family are looking for a Mission Viejo woman who has gone missing on a Caribbean island for more than five days.

Frank Cordes last saw his wife, Leta Lynn Cordes, late Friday night before she headed out on foot to a nearby hotel, said Cary Honstein, a friend of the couple. Honstein was there vacationing with the couple and friends but returned to California before Cordes disappeared. She is now helping the family by contacting authorities.

The Cordeses had just come back to their island home from dinner when Leta Lynn Cordes decided she wanted to gamble. Her husband gave her money and she walked toward a casino about a quarter of a mile away that is frequented by friends and family when they travel to the area, Honstein said.

When her husband woke up Saturday at 7 a.m., he discovered she hadn't returned, she said. He filed a missing persons report the same day. Police and family are wondering about her whereabouts.

"It's not her personality to leave with strangers," Honstein said.

Her disappearance has been reported in local media outlets in St. Maarten, in the Antilles.

Cordes, 49, is described as 5-feet-5, 145 pounds and with a "777" tattoo on her back.

Authorities in St. Maarten were not available for comment.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/cordes-family-honstein-1960860-friends-maarten

[Red]

American Tourist Leta Lynn Cordes Missing in the Caribbean while Vacationing on Saint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles Since 1/11/2008

http://missingexploited.com/2008/01/17/american-tourist-leta-lynn-cordes-missing-in-the-caribbean-while-vacationing-on-saint-maarten-netherlands-antilles-since-1112008/

49 year old Leta Lynn Cordes has been missing since Friday, January 11, 2008. Leta Lynn Cordes and her husband, Frank Cordes, had been vacationing on the Caribbean island of Saint Maarten. She was last seen by her husband when she went gambling and walked to a the  near by Westin hotel about a quarter of a mile away. Leta Lynn Cordes left to go gambling with only her ID and about $100.00 in cash. She has not been seen nor heard from since.

[pdh3]

Oh no! Another missing American in the Caribbean!
She's small and blonde....

[pdh3]

I meant to add....are there witnesses that can validate the husband's story that she left to walk to the casino?  It sounds like maybe there were others in the house that can back him up on what time she left, and her condition when she was last seen alive. I have to wonder if LE on St. Maarten is up to the task of solving her disappearance.

I'm hoping she's OK.

[MumInOhio]

Not much news....this is from today and says the husband is aiding in the search.

GAL MISSING IN ST. MAARTEN
Post Wire Services

January 18, 2008 -- MISSION VIEJO, Calif. - A California woman has been missing for a week after vanishing on the small Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Leta Lynn Cordes, 49, who lives in Mission Viejo, has not been seen since last Friday, when she left her vacation home to go gambling, according to her husband.

Frank Cordes said she had been drinking and decided to walk to a nearby casino with only her ID and $100 in cash.

When he woke up the next morning, she had not returned home, he said.

The couple has been married for 20 years.

"My first reaction was, I was scared to death because it's not like her," said Cary Honstein, a friend of the missing woman.

"That was my first reaction, because she's never not come home all night - never ever."

Frank Cordes is currently in St. Maarten, aiding with the search.

[MumInOhio]

First I have heard of her staying in the car asleep in the back seat. The FBI has offered to help.

O.C. woman missing in St. Martin

She was last seen a week ago heading by foot to a casino on the Caribbean island. Police there are investigating.

By H.G. Reza, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 19, 2008

A Mission Viejo woman visiting the Caribbean island St. Martin vanished a week ago while on a nighttime walk to a casino, her husband said Friday.

Leta Lynn Cordes was last seen Jan. 11 shortly before 11 p.m. when she left their vacation home for the Westin St. Martin hotel to gamble, her husband, Frank Cordes, said.

"The Westin is about 10 minutes away walking time," Cordes said in a telephone interview from the island. "She had made that walk before."

According to Cordes, the couple had spent the evening drinking with friends and returned home by car. Leta Cordes, 49, stayed sleeping in the back seat while he went to bed, Cordes said.

About 10:45 p.m. his wife awakened him to ask for money for gambling and the car keys, Cordes said.

But she was "much too drunk," and he tried to persuade her to stay home, he said. Leta Cordes left the house on foot, heading for the casino. Cordes said she refused to let him drive her.

Leta Cordes' son, Rory Bryant, said she never went anywhere without telling her family where she was going. Bryant, of Lake Forest, has gone to St. Martin to assist in the search for his mother.

Judy Honstein said she and her daughter Cary have known Leta Cordes for 20 years and she "is not a person hiding out somewhere afraid to call."

Cary Honstein said she is "feeling more and more hopeless" as the search for her friend enters the second week. She spent the holidays with the Cordeses at the their island home, returning Jan. 4.

On Friday, the Honsteins met with an Orange County sheriff's investigator. Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said investigators will turn over information they gather to St. Martin authorities, who are in charge of the search.

A St. Martin police spokesman said Friday that there was no indication that Leta Cordes had met with foul play.

Ricardo Henson said Frank Cordes reported his wife missing Jan. 12, and police and canine units have been searching for her all week.

An FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles said the agency has offered to assist St. Martin in the investigation.

There was no word on whether the offer was accepted.

Cordes, 42, said he and his wife have been regular visitors to the island, part of the Netherlands Antilles, for several years.

He said investigators cautioned him not to reveal too much information about the case or his family.

Police released a picture of the missing woman, showing her with long blond hair. Cordes said the local media "has run with the photo and sensationalized the case."

Cary Honstein said she was not surprised that Leta Cordes ignored her husband's request to stay home after a night of drinking.

"If she makes up her mind to do something, she's going to do it," she said.

Honstein said the Cordeses have been together for more than 20 years and described them as happy together.

hgreza@latimes.com

[MumInOhio]

Found this and it says the husband was not the last to see this woman...


Police Still Searching for Missing Woman

Police Spokesman Johan Janchi Leonard

Philipsburg:--  The police has canvassed  several known parts of both French and Dutch side as they continue to search for the American Leta Lynn Cordes who was reported missing since January 12. Police Spokesman Johan Janchi Leonard said the search is continuing in other parts of the island.

 The senior police spokesman said that the that the police are still treating the case as a missing person because so far there is no reason to believe a crime has been committed and unless they get further information to indicate other wise they will continue to treat the case as such. So far police has been divulging limited information to the media, but they promised to give more detail information later this week. Leonard said that it is not because the department is not giving out information they are turning a blind eye on the case. He said that the case has the attention of those in very top positions and that the K-9 dogs are being used to find the woman. Asked if the woman husband Frank Cordes who have been giving different stories to the media overseas and SMN News is a suspect in the woman’s disappearance Leonard said that they have not determined a crime has been committed and unless that happens no one is a suspect. He further stated that the man Frank Cordes was not the last person to see the woman alive as she was seen at the Westin Casino that night. However, the police spokesman refused to give more details on the sighting of the woman at the casino.

 

[MumInOhio]

Thanks COLUMBO for finding this article......

Tuesday, January 22, 2008
FBI offered to help in search of missing Mission Viejo woman
Frank Cordes said he was interviewed by police for the second time by police in St. Maarten.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register
Comments 2| Recommend 1


Police in St. Maarten interviewed Frank Cordes for the second time Tuesday morning as his wife, Leta Lynn Cordes, is still missing in the Caribbean island for the 11th day.

Two investigators with the St. Maarten police questioned Cordes about the couples' time in the island and asked detailed questions about who the couple came into contact since they arrived at the island in December, Frank Cordes said.

Leta Lynn Cordes, 49, was scheduled to return to her home in Mission Viejo Wednesday, but instead, has been missing in St. Maarten since Friday, Jan. 11. Cordes told her husband that night she was going to walk to a nearby casino.

Frank Cordes said he, his wife, and his mother had been drinking in a restaurant that night. Leta stayed in the car for about 30 minutes, then entered the couple's island home to tell him she wanted to go gamble at the Westin Hotel casino nearby.

Frank volunteered to drive her to the casino but told her she would have to get a cab ride back, he said. Leta decided to instead make the 10-minute walk to the casino through an unlit road that she and the couple's friends had frequently taken to the hotel.

Investigator Ricardo Henson of the St. Maarten Police said in an earlier interview that investigators verified that Leta Lynn Cordes made it to the casino that night. But in a written statement, the public relations firm representing the Westin St. Maarten casino said there was no trace of Cordes in surveillance tapes, and staff did not report seeing her.

"Upon review of the surveillance tapes from the evening of Friday, January 11, the resort security and surveillance staff found no footage of her entering the resort or casino. Additionally, the casino security director and staff reported not seeing her in the casino that evening," read the statement. "The Westin continues to cooperate fully with island authorities, who have the Westin's surveillance footage, and to implement its measures to ensure the safety of its guests, from a director of security, director of surveillance, security staff, security cameras, trained managers on duty and security gates manned by security officers."

Frank Cordes said he himself has been confused about whether Leta made it to the casino or not. About 15 minutes after she left that night, he drove wearing shorts and no shoes to make sure she arrived there. When he didn't see her on the road, he assumed she had. He did not enter the casino because of his attire, and because his mother was staying alone at the couple's home.

Cordes said he believes his wife might have been targeted by someone who had seen her gambling at the casino before. Police said they have found no sign of foul play, but have not ruled it out.

Since that night, police have searched the area with dogs but have found no trace of the Mission Viejo woman.

Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI, said the bureau has volunteered their help to the St. Maarten police, who are leading the investigation. The department frequently offers assistance in similar cases, although local departments lead the investigation. Eimiller was unable to confirm if the St. Maarten police accepted the assistance.

Cordes said he has tried to assist police by searching the island, although he feels he has been unfairly targeted as a suspect by the public and in some stories by the media on the case.

"I really don't want to tie myself up by trying to defend myself in the public eye," he said. "I need to focus on finding Leta."

Cordes said he and his wife have been happily married for more than 20 years. For the last seven, the couple regularly traveled to the island with their friends.

For now, he's arranged with their airline to reschedule Leta's flight in the hopes that she will be found.




Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

[Nut44x4]

Missing O.C. woman a no-show at resort

St. Maarten hotel-casino says the Mission Viejo resident was not seen on the night her husband says she was going there.

January 23, 2008
A Mission Viejo woman who disappeared this month while reportedly walking to a casino on the Caribbean island St. Maarten never arrived at the resort, a spokeswoman said.

Frank Cordes, 42, said his wife, Leta Lynn Cordes, 49, left their island vacation home -- where they had gone to spend the holidays -- about 11 p.m. Jan. 11 and walked to the Westin St. Maarten Hotel, about 10 minutes away.

But surveillance tapes from that evening show that she never entered the hotel or casino, said Westin spokeswoman Karen Gee-McAuley.

"She's a regular customer," Gee-McAuley said, adding that the hotel and casino staff "know what she looks like. She wasn't there that night."

None of the casino employees "reported seeing her that evening," she said. The surveillance tapes were turned over to local authorities after being reviewed by security personnel.

On Tuesday, Cordes said he had heard "conflicting accounts" about whether his wife had arrived at the casino. He said the local media reported that she was seen at the casino, but "this has not been 100% verified by police."

Cordes said he had been stymied in his efforts to obtain information from Westin officials because they refuse to talk to him. Gee-McAuley said he should be talking to police because they are in charge of the investigation.

St. Maarten police declined to comment Tuesday.

Cordes said, however, that he met Tuesday with a "special task force" of investigators who asked him "redundant questions" about his wife's disappearance. He said the investigators apparently were working independently of the police detectives investigating the case, but he was not sure if they were all from St. Maarten.

Last week, the FBI offered to assist local authorities, but Cordes said he had not met with any U.S. law enforcement officials.

Cordes said the task force buoyed his hopes that investigators "are in a search for a live wife" because he believes the probe by local police has turned into a search for a body.

Last year, Orange County sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the couple's Mission Viejo home. Cordes said he called authorities when his wife became violent after they had argued. He said his wife chased him into his home office and was banging on the door with a hammer.

Cary Honstein, a friend of the missing woman, said Tuesday that Leta Lynn Cordes called her the night of the incident in January 2007 and said that Frank Cordes "had laid hands on her."

Cordes denied hitting his wife and said he had been slapped by her. He said she "went on a rampage" over a dispute about life insurance and threw household objects at him.

Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said deputies defused the situation and there were no arrests.

Cordes said he and his wife had enjoyed a "harmonious relationship" since the incident.

The couple built a vacation home in St. Maarten last year and had been vacationing there for seven years, he said.

Cordes said he arrived Dec. 3 and his wife eight days later to celebrate the holidays. The couple work as computer animators from an office in their home.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-missing23jan23,1,519740.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

[MsVada]

something strikes me odd about the husband...I don't know if I believe his story...why in hell would he leave his wife in the car possibly passed out?

[bleachedblack]

St. Maarten officials unresponsive in FBI offer to search for missing woman.
FBI has offered assistance in the case of a missing Mission Viejo woman in St. Maarten.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
St. Maarten police have not yet responded to an offer made by the FBI to help in the search of a missing Mission Viejo woman on the island, authorities said today.

Leta Lynn Cordes, of Mission Viejo, went missing on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten on Jan. 11 after authorities said she told her husband she was going to walk to a nearby casino to gamble.

Local police said they have found no trace of the 49-year-old woman.

Frank Cordes, her husband, remains on the island and said he fears his wife might have been the victim of foul play, although authorities have said they have not found evidence of that.

Earlier this week, the FBI volunteered to aid local authorities in the search for the woman. In a telephone interview today, St. Maarten's Public Prosecutor Taco Stein said investigators are reviewing the status of the case and have not decided whether to accept the bureau's offer.

"At this point, I heard the offer has been made, but we have not replied," Stein said.

The FBI frequently volunteers to aid foreign law enforcement agencies in cases involving missing Americans by providing resources and personnel, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. In those cases, the FBI provides assistance and local agencies remain in charge of the investigations.

St. Maarten police have combed the 37-square-mile island with search dogs but have not found a sign of Leta Lynn Cordes.

Frank Cordes said his wife left their island home after the couple returned from having dinner and drinks with his mother. The three had been drinking and Leta left on foot at about 11 p.m. for the Westin St. Maarten casino, about 10 minutes away.

The couple and their friends have visited the island regularly for the last seven years and frequently walked along an unlit road that leads to the casino, Cordes said.

Cordes volunteered to drive her to the casino, but his wife decided to walk instead, he said.

On Tuesday, investigators interviewed Cordes for the second time and asked him detailed questions about who the couple had come into contact since they arrived on the island in December.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/cordes-island-maarten-1965009-fbi-casino

[MumInOhio]

St. Maarten police search beach for traces of missing U.S. tourist
The Associated Pres.
Published: January 24, 2008

 PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten: Police with search dogs combed a St. Maarten beach Thursday for signs of a U.S. tourist who disappeared nearly two weeks ago in the Dutch Caribbean territory.

Authorities concentrated the search along a 2-mile (3-kilometer) stretch of coastline near where Leta Lynn Cordes, 49, of Mission Viejo, California, was last seen by her husband, police spokesman Johan Leonard said.

The woman's husband told police she headed to the Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa the night of Jan. 11 to gamble in the casino. But the hotel says security cameras show she never went inside.

The investigation is not considered a criminal case and there is no evidence of a homicide, said Taco Stein, the territory's chief prosecutor. Authorities are considering an FBI offer to assist, he said.

Authorities in French St. Martin, which shares the Caribbean island with the Dutch territory, have also been helping with the case, he said.

[martini]

Oyster Pond: --- The husband of Leta Lynn Cordes is furious with the media, whom he is accusing of wanting to make money on the disappearance of his wife instead of wanting to help him locate the woman. Frank Cordes said that the media is distorting what he said to them and this creating media frenzy especially with bloggers in the United States of America.
On Sunday January 13 SMN News did an interview with Frank Cordes and he said that he is the one who dropped his wife to the casino, he said his wife was drunk at the time and that she wanted to drive there but because she was so drunk he did not give her keys to the car. Cordes said that he advised his wife to take a taxi home since he was not in the mood to go get her later that night. He went on to say that he had his wife passport, ticket and credit card which were not charged and the only thing he could not find is her driver license and felt that was the only identification she had on her.

He also said that when he returned from an all day adventure in Grand Case where they were eating and drinking he did leave his drunken wife in the car sleeping. Cordes said a neighbor who was walking his dog in the area opened the car door when the man noticed his wife was alone in the vehicle and his wife then went into the house and asked him for $200 to go and gamble at Westin but he only gave her $100. The man said when he went to look for his wife and could not find her he waited to see if she had checked in at the resort or to see if she met friends and decided to spend the night with them. Cordes went on to say he proceeded to the police station and police refused to take his complain because 24 hours had not elapsed.

He further claimed that someone from Westin had called him and said his wife had an argument that night while at the casino. Cordes explained that the caller gave him the name of the employee who had seen the fracas. He said he went more than once to see the employee and each time he was told the woman was not at work and finally he said someone told him that the caller had misinformed him about the argument. Cordes said on the night of January 11 2007 when he last saw his wife the security at Westin did not work something he finds strange. He also charged that management of Westin was trying to suppress information to protect their international image.

Yesterday SMN News contacted Cordes who was obviously angry with the media whom he said is not giving him any assistance. He complained about the bloggers in the United States of America. Cordes said his son contacted the FBI and they are going to be leading the investigation since police on St. Maarten is not making headway in the recovery of the 49-year old woman.

However, SMN News received information that Cordes and his wife had an argument on the beach in Grand Case that Friday and the woman threatened to divorce him. One witness told SMN News that Cordes is not telling the police what really happened and the Dutch police they say are allowing the man to get away with constant lies. SMN News confronted Cordes with this information and instead of answering the question he said the FBI will lead the investigation and hung up the phone.

Police on St. Maarten already determined that the man and his wife were having marital problems and they also know of the argument Cordes and his wife had on the day she disappeared. However, they are tightlipped about the investigation except to say they are looking for her and that they have no evidence to suggest a crime has been committed.


The Island Chief of Police, chief commissioner of police and chief prosecutor have been in constant meetings this week and they agreed to send out a prepared statement to the media, however, no one knows when that statement is going to be released.

Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein admitted to the meetings and said that his office will not intervene in the case until it is proven that a crime has been committed. Stein said that the FBI will be assisting with investigation starting in the United States of America. He did not say if and when the FBI will be coming to the island. Stein said that he does not know where the media is getting its conflicting information from because they already reviewed the tapes from Westin Resort and they confirmed that the woman did not visit Westin that night. Stein said the first thing police did was to review Westin tape and he also sanctioned the statement released by management of Westin Resort.

In the meantime, police on St. Maarten has been conducting an island wide search for the missing woman, on Thursday the police searched the Guana Bay area with the K-9 dog while yesterday they searched several areas in Pointe Blanche and they are expected to use both dogs to search Mullet Bay area today to see if they can find any traces of Leta Lynn Cordes. Police Spokesman Johan Janchi Leonard is calling on members of the public who may have seen Cordes to contact the police at 54-22222 or 911.

 

[klaasend]

Martini - Welcome to Scared Monkeys.  Nice tattoo 

[klaasend]

[martini]

Thanks! Front page of the local Today newspaper (not available online says that the family has put together $ 5,000.00 reward for any information regarding this case and it says "has the husband left the island?" The police dept. will issue a statement soon.

[klaasend]

Thanks! Front page of the local Today newspaper (not available online says that the family has put together $ 5,000.00 reward for any information regarding this case and it says "has the husband left the island?" The police dept. will issue a statement soon.

Thanks Martini - what is your take on the husband?

[martini]

Frank Cordes has announced a US $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of his wife. He told The Daily Herald that he had plans to travel to California, USA, today, Wednesday, if there was a flight available. Cordes said that in California he would also be transferring a sum of money to an RBTT bank account that holds the reward money for any person who comes forward with information regarding Leta’s whereabouts.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k216/cordes216.html

[bleachedblack]

Thanks for the headsup martini, here is the article. IMO if the guy had nothing to hide, then why would he care what anyone else thought about his reason(s) for doing what he is doing. Instead it speaks to a guilty conscience. "The lady doth protest to much......", only this time the one protesting is Frank Cordes.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

US $5,000 reward
for Leta Cordes


DAWN BEACH--Frank Cordes, husband of US citizen Leta Lynn Cordes who went missing on Saturday, January 12, has announced a US $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of his wife.

Cordes said media reports indicating he had left the island were untrue. He told The Daily Herald yesterday that he had plans to travel to California, USA, today, Wednesday, if there was a flight available. In California, he will be meeting with Leta’s family to discuss details of the case.

Cordes said that in California he would also be transferring a sum of money to an RBTT bank account that holds the reward money for any person who comes forward with information regarding Leta’s whereabouts.

Cordes stressed that his departure was in no way an attempt to flee from the ongoing investigation. He said the police authorities were fully aware of his trip and he would be returning to the island in about three to four weeks.

Leta Cordes has been missing now for two weeks and four days. She was vacationing here with her husband Frank, who last saw her on Friday, January 11, around 11:00pm when she left their home on foot to go to the casino at the nearby Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k216/cordes216.html

[martini]

This is a snip from a blogger who overheard a conversion in St. Maarten~

On Sunday, Jan. 13th while in St. Maarten, the spousal unit and I supped at a delightful little outdoor pizza parlour called Mama Pizza. This place was very near our hotel and just on the French side of the island.

A trio at an adjacent table was engaged in an animated conversation. There was a man of German descent in his mid-to-late 40s, sporting a muscle shirt, camouflage cargos, and a rockin' Scorpions hairdo. A woman of about the same age had a wicked Long Island accent. The third member of the party was an elderly woman who spoke little.

As bits of their conversation drifted over we were able to determine that they were searching for someone. It sounded like a crime had been committed. Furthermore, they had been showing pictures around the hotel we were staying at, trying to locate a woman. Somebody said, "she's done this before". Then the woman kept saying that she wanted the police to use K9s. The man complained that the police were focusing too much on "building a case against him" and not enough on "finding her."