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

[Peaches]

I'm afraid things don't look very good for this woman. Maybe it's just me, but I wonder why her husband wasn't concerned about an intoxicated woman walking alone in the dark. I would never see that as a good idea, no matter where I was, but especially not in a foreign country. It's just a very bad combination of risk factors, no matter how many times it's been done before without incident. And if she was carrying cash.....even worse.
I'm not blaming the victim, or her husband, but it does seem as though it might have occured to them at some point that they could be putting themselves in danger. I just don't understand their comfort level in walking that route often in the dark, and alone.

I can understand that perhaps one's comfort zone might be expanded if one were drunk.  If this is their second home, perhaps they were pretty comfortable.  Would you buy a second home someplace where you were uncomfortable?  Of course not.  I agree there is more afoot here but I don't know that I'm ready to blame the husband just yet.  I think there are probably more likely suspects out there.  You know, the kind who prey on female tourists. Crime of opportunity. 

[martini]

Pic of Leta on Westin property~

http://letacordes.com/wp-content/gallery/leta-cordes/dsc01334.jpg

[martini]

“It would be impossible for me to hide a body within ten minutes, which could not be found later in six weeks,” Frank Cordes added. “I’m not Superman.” Cordes had just returned from Germany after he visited his family to update and inform them about his missing wife, and said he would be returning to St. Maarten soon.

http://www.zebrabot.com/stmaarten-blog/2008/02/27/frank-cordes-still-claiming-his-innocence/

[bleachedblack]

Leta Cordes family cries foul over missing reward money


~ We used money for research, says Honstein ~

PHILIPSBURG--The family of missing American tourist Leta Cordes (49) demanded on Wednesday the return of thousands of dollars withdrawn recently from a joint bank account established to pay out a reward for the missing woman’s rescue.

US $7,000 was withdrawn just days ago from a US bank account opened soon after Cordes disappeared on January 11 somewhere near Dawn Beach. The woman’s family blamed two former friends of the family for taking the money, leaking confidential information to the media, and “smearing” her husband’s name.

The Arrowhead Credit Union account in Corona, California, was left with $200 following the withdrawal.

Ousted family friend Cary Honstein admitted yesterday to withdrawing the funds, saying the money had been needed to pay for “research”

“We shifted the funds out for research,” Honstein told The Daily Herald in a telephone interview Wednesday, but he refused to give details about the research. He referred this newspaper to another ousted friend, Elaine Karas and said, “… if Frank wants his [portion of the money] back, we will give it to him.”

This newspaper was suddenly disconnected from a telephone interview with Honstein in the U.S. while requesting Karas’ contact information, and was greeted with an answering machine when attempting to resume the interview.

Cordes’ son Rory Bryant told this newspaper he had not been told about the withdrawal in advance. He also said recent media reports about a sudden spike in the reward being offered to US $25,000, citing a source R.B. as a relative, had been incorrect. “They never contacted me [in any way],” he said from his office in the U.S.

According to Cordes’ husband Frank, Karas had become Windward Islands Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein’s contact person to the family and, apparently, the source feeding “confidential information” to sections of the media.

“They are smearing me with leading headlines like “Has he left island?” Cordes said about the women he blamed for trying to vilify him.

Stein confirmed that he had been in contact with Karas about the investigation, but said he knew nothing about Honstein, whom the family considers the mouthpiece of the ongoing investigation.

Bryant explained that the joint account had been devised “very early on” at a time when they all wanted to share involvement in the stakes of the reward. “[It was a joint account] because none of us wanted full responsibility [over the funds],” Bryant said, adding that they had all been very close at the start.

“We were a support group for each other,” he added.

The relationship fell apart, he said, when Frank was being demonised and the women began speaking out of turn and without the approval of the family.

In a written statement to this newspaper delivered through Frank Cordes, Leta Cordes’ brother James McLondon said, “There are actually no family members in the group and they do not work on behalf of the family.”

The announcement that the reward had been stepped up from $5,000 to $25,000 was made without the approval of the family, Bryant said, adding that they “are misrepresenting who they are.”

Cordes went missing on a Friday night when reportedly on her way to the casino at The Westin Dawn Beach St. Maarten Resort and Spa.

On Wednesday Frank Cordes again flatly denied any involvement in her disappearance and dismissed as laughable reports that he owned a pistol and silencer.

The police are investigating.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k253/reward253.html

[pdh3]

This story is taking an ugly turn, isn't it?

Meanwhile....where is Leta?

[martini]

Missing women case, Leta Lynn Cordes, turning into bizarre story over reward money.

The family of missing 49 year old Leta Lynn Cordes, is turning into a very strange story about missing funds withdrawn by “former friends” of the Family. It appeared that Honstein, one of the friends withdraw recently $7,000 from the joint US bank account that was established as a reward money account. Honstein claims he withdrew the funds to pay for research. The family now claims that the “former friends” were leaking confidential information to the media and “smearing” her husband’s name, they told SXMpages.

Honstein the ousted “friend” admitted that he withdrew the funds for research but did not want to disclose the purpose for the “research moneys”.

Cordes’ son Rory Bryant said he had not been told of the withdrawal in advance and stated the “sudden spike” in the reward being offered from $5,000 to $25,000 had been incorrect. Honstein mentioned another “ousted friend” Elaine Karas who is according Frank Cordes, the husband, had become the contact person for the family to Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein in St. Maarten.

What started out as a support group now seems to have fallen apart since Honstein and Karas began vilifying him, according to Frank Cordes. It get’s even more confusing that, although the family put up a reward money account to which Honstein and Karas had signing rights to, now declared that the support group was not working on behalf of the family and “are misrepresenting who they are” according to Son Bryant in a telephone interview with SXMpages.

To this day there s no trace of Leta Lynn Cordes, who went missing since January 11 while on her way to the Casino at Westin Resort in Dawn Beach.

comment #1Son Rory thinks he is the only RB who is involved. They also think no other family members are in the new group. Well. Perhaps things will all become clear eventually.
This other group working without the husband have put up $50000 reward and are working to find Leta or her remains. Perhaps the family group is more restricted.

Michael Sheldon the attorney is speaking for the group now. This group seems to be actually doing stuff towards finding out what happened to Leta.
Seems a shame they are falling out but I guess they need to be doing something that others are not.

http://www.sxmpages.com/index.php/Latest/Cordes-Reward-Money.html

[martini]

Chief  Prosecutor, Taco Stein, said that a review of the Leta Lynn Cordes case is under way.

Taco Stein said, “This is a standard procedure and a new team is conducting a review of the case. This is something that can have benefits when a new pair of eyes look at things and it can make sure nothing has been missed.” He declined, however, to state who these new detectives were or their origin. At this point in time, she is still regarded as a missing person. “In civil law there are many years before a person who is missing can be considered dead. Only when there is a trace of evidence that indicate a murder, can we suggest this becomes a murder case.”

Leta Lynn Cordes has now been missing for more than two and a half months. Since the report their has been no trace of Leta. Rewards up to $50,000 have been put up for any leads that will help in finding Leta Lynn or the persons involved in her disappearance. A website has also been created for people to post information on her whereabouts. So far no information has been posted, but comments had been left on the site with people posting their sympathy to the family, and also have been attacking Frank Cordes, Leta’s husband.

 www.letacordes.com

Family and friends of Leta Lynn have also resisted pressure from the media and TV journalist Larry Garrison who wrote “Aruba: the tragic untold story of Natalee Holloway and corruption in paradise”. Though the group of friends are in touch with Beth Holloway, they do not want to involve St. Maarten in any adverse publicity.

[martini]

Two posters on the letacordes.com website are making comments...

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine and I’ve been following this situation since I heard about it on TV. While there doesn’t seem to be any GUILT involved in this case, it is time for every innocent person attempt to bring a close to this situation. Just front-up; man-up and give all they can in the way of supportive assistance instead of fighting demons that do not really exist! Just do it! Cooperation can only be good! Lack of cooperation certainly justifies suspicions.

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine too, and I have been following this case closely as well. It’s my opinion her husband is responsible for this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

http://letacordes.com/?p=1

[klaasend]

Two posters on the letacordes.com website are making comments...

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine and I’ve been following this situation since I heard about it on TV. While there doesn’t seem to be any GUILT involved in this case, it is time for every innocent person attempt to bring a close to this situation. Just front-up; man-up and give all they can in the way of supportive assistance instead of fighting demons that do not really exist! Just do it! Cooperation can only be good! Lack of cooperation certainly justifies suspicions.

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine too, and I have been following this case closely as well. It’s my opinion her husband is responsible for this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

http://letacordes.com/?p=1

Martini - thanks!  I'm a bit suspicious of the husband as well.

[martini]

snipped from a letter from a tourist to a local news source...

It is only then...standing and talking to the Geandarme officer, that I glanced at the wall in the entry to the Geandarmerie police station and noticed a poster with 12 MISSING PEOPLE...12 PEOPLE WHOSE BODIES HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND...12 PEOPLE WHO HAVE  DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE (4 little boys, ages 5-8; 6 beautiful  women, ages 25-50; and 2 men, one a student, another looked as though a businessman or an owner of one of the island's villas...) and that is just on the French side of St. Martin/St. Maarten…was it the same on the Dutch  side?

http://www.smn-news.com/Letters/ 

[martini]

May 15, 2008 Husband takes charge of the search...
Dawn Beach:---- The family of Leta Lynn Cordes is now conducting water searches in certain areas to see if they can find anything that would match Leta Lynn Cordes who disappeared on January 11 2008. Her husband Frank Cordes told SMN News that he knows the efforts to search murky waters is like looking for a needle in a hay stack especially since there is no special beach area to search. However, the immediate family of this woman wants to make sure they do everything possible that would shed light on her disappearance and they the family can find closer.
The team he said consists mostly locals including the coast guards are assisting with information and they would be looking in the Dawn Beach area first before moving on to other locations; already they conducted seven searches in the Dawn Beach which will continue.
The distraught husband who is struggling to keep  up with his wife’s disappearance said that the immediate family of Leta Lynn Cordes has submitted a petition to the Prosecutor’s office requesting that no information be released to the Today Newspaper. Reasons Cordes said is that newspaper does not write based on facts, instead they are writing on hearsay and are using quotes to save them from being sued. Frank Cordes explained that it is normal for people to suspect him of doing something bad to his wife because he is the husband of Leta Lynn, but what is bad is when people start using their suspicion as accusation. He said that the Today Newspaper have been printing erroneous information concerning the disappearance of his wife.

Frank Cordes also explained that the team of friends who came to St. Maarten while he was away saying they were searching for the missing woman with conniver dogs did not receive any permission from the families of Leta Lynn Cordes.  Cordes said that the family of Leta Lynn was excluded from the search and that they could not see any proof that the $75,000 reward  money existed. He said that the family did not even know where the money was coming from and as such they did not support the search. “These people opened a limited liability company and they can always declare that company went bankrupt if someone decided to provide real information which would lead them to the whereabouts of Leta” Frank said.
In the meantime Cary Honstein and Elaine  former friends of the Cordes have decided to remove all negative comments they made against Frank Cordes on their website. In an email to Frank Cordes yesterday said they have decided to remove all contents on their site because that was not their initial plan and they have lost focus. Frank Cordes also sent a warning to the administrator of the  Leta Cordes website indicating to them that they are not operating with the families consent neither under the authority of the local police force. The site administrator was advised that they are not legally authorized to collect any information concerning his missing wife. And that the only reference in this investigation is the local police on St. Maarten.
 The warning also indicated that the family members of Leta Lynn Cordes is requesting that the Today Entertainment Paper be excluded as well as Elaine Karas, J. Michael Sheldon and their representatives or associates from receiving any further official news regarding the case.
Frank Cordes said he is very happy with the cooperation he is receiving from the Prosecutor’s office especially Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein. Stein confirmed that the Cordes family made a request at his office concerning the Today Newspaper. He said that he would try his best to honor their request.

[bleachedblack]

Thanks for the update Martini, I have been wondering about this case.

[pdh3]

Two posters on the letacordes.com website are making comments...

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine and I’ve been following this situation since I heard about it on TV. While there doesn’t seem to be any GUILT involved in this case, it is time for every innocent person attempt to bring a close to this situation. Just front-up; man-up and give all they can in the way of supportive assistance instead of fighting demons that do not really exist! Just do it! Cooperation can only be good! Lack of cooperation certainly justifies suspicions.

Leta was a former girlfriend of mine too, and I have been following this case closely as well. It’s my opinion her husband is responsible for this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

http://letacordes.com/?p=1

Martini - thanks!  I'm a bit suspicious of the husband as well.

This is a stange case. I also have suspicions about Frank Cordes.

[martini]

People Magazine~ August 18th edition it's the double issue with Brad & Angelina & the twins on the cover~ has an article of Leta Lynn Cordes~  on page 75, the title is Missing in Paradise, Mystery in St. Maarten...

[martini]

Leading People Magazine this week opens up a 2 page story under the title “Mystery in St. Maarten” Missing in Paradise, the 7 month old story about Leta Cordes going missing.
Full of hidden innuendos 43 year old Frank Cordes, a German immigrant into the US who met Leta Cordes (49) more than 20 years ago, claims that St. Maarten has become “his own Vietnam”. Beautiful but deadly. In my opinion a strange analogy for a man who was about 10 years old when the Vietnam War was over.

The story does not unfold any new facts except that the reward money totals now a respectable $100,000 of which $75,000 was put up by friends and $25,000 by Frank Cordes. In the interview he readily admits that the relationship was shaky, with affairs on both sides, alcohol abuse and anti-depressants.

Frank further elaborates that he got worried a while after his wife had left for the Westin Resort Casino on the evening of her disappearance, and he went after her with the explanation that she might have fallen on the rough road down to the resort.

He says when he didn’t see her, he turned back assuming she had made it to the hotel. Now mind you, I lived right above that road for more than 15 years. Now I wonder if Frank took his vehicle or went on foot. Reason why, is that the road is not wide enough to turn on, unless he went all the way down to the resort. The road is actually a private road, not government maintained, which is the reason why it’s small and full of potholes. It’s also avoided by many because of this. Criminality in all the years I lived there (until 2005) was minimal because “Naked Boy Hill” the very steep access road, is not very welcoming for locals and tourists alike.

Not saying that nothing could have happened to Leta Cordes on that road on that evening, but I’m still more interested in explanations from Frank Cordes.

Somehow I cannot imagine that his parting words in the People Magazine article “I hope she’s okay, but I know the reality of the situation” ring real concern.

At least the article states that St. Maarten is considered quite safe. With the Holloway Mystery in Aruba, the disgusting double murder in Antigua, the Leta Lynn Cordes mystery is undoubtedly going to stir up emotions that will hurt tourism. But like I mentioned in a related article when the Leta Cordes story just unfolded, many visitors like the island lifestyle and more than just a couple don’t return to the “real” world after a taste of the islands. Frank has not managed to convince me that he knows a lot more then he’s letting on.

In any case, be prepared St. Maarten for another tidal wave of potential negative publicity.

http://www.zebrabot.com/2008/08/10/st-maarten-get-ready-for-a-new-wave-of-leta-lynn-cordes-attention/#more-1540

[martini]

On October 1st, 2008, the Dutch Prosecutor’s Office released an official statement citing the discovery of “new evidence” related to the disappearance of Leta Cordes. Officials have not stated what this evidence is exactly, but they have revealed they are now working with nearly a half a dozen different agencies including the French St. Martin Authorities, the Royal Dutch Marechaussees, the Kingdom Cooperation Detective Team RST, the Police Force, the FBI, and California homicide detectives.

“The fact that we have sent out a press release should state the fact that we are not going to be saying anymore more about it at the moment,” Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein recently told The Daily Herald newspaper on the island.

According to The Daily Herald, the case still remains in the hands of Dutch Authorities even with the cooperation of other agencies.

The Daily Herald also states that Leta Corde’s U.S. and St. Maarten homes we’re both searched within the last few weeks raising suspicions of Frank Cordes, Leta’s husband.

This news has brought reaffirmed hope to Friends of Leta~

[Nut44x4]

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!    the Dutch...... 

[martini]

Leta Cordes Disappearance Now Appears To Be A Murder Investigation Citing “New Evidence” PHILIPSBURG: The police have now arrested the husband of Leta Lynn Cordes in the Dawn Beach area. Public procecutor Taco Stein confirmed the arrest stating that it was time for the arrest to take place. He would not confirm what brought about the arrest in this stage of the investigation, He only ventured to say that the investigation is now halfway and it was time to carry out the arrest.

[Nut44x4]

martini..... I need a link. I am super busy right now and can't seem to find any news on this. Link please?? Thanks.

[martini]

Here you go...

http://www.sxmislandtime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3517:arrest-made-in-cordes-case-Tuesday=31:general&Itemid=76