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

[Nut44x4]

Los Angeles Times
 
October 16, 2008 Thursday
 
Missing woman's husband arrested in the Caribbean;
St. Maarten police hold a Mission Viejo man in disappearance of his wife from their island home.
 
The husband of a Mission Viejo woman missing since January on the Caribbean island St. Maarten has been arrested by local authorities as a suspect in her disappearance, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Frank Cordes was arrested Tuesday at his island home by detectives, said St. Maarten police spokesman Ricardo Henson.

Cordes' wife, Leta Lynn, 49, left the couple's vacation home Jan. 11, reportedly telling her husband she was walking to a nearby casino. She has not been seen since.

"Right now, he is being held in connection with his wife's disappearance," Henson said. He said prosecutors announced that they had uncovered new evidence, but declined to elaborate.

The Daily Herald, an island newspaper, reported Wednesday that prosecutors alerted local media two weeks ago that there was new evidence in the case but offered no further details.

The paper said detectives removed bags of clothing and other personal items from Cordes' home when he was arrested.

The arrest was confirmed by Orange County Sheriff's Department homicide Det. Brian Sutton.

He said the department assisted St. Maarten police by interviewing associates, friends and relatives of the couple in Southern California.

"My understanding of their legal system is that they can keep Cordes for 48 hours and then show a judge that they have good reason to hold him longer," Sutton said.

In an interview about a week after his wife's disappearance, Cordes said they had spent the night drinking with friends and returned home by car. Cordes said he went inside the house and fell asleep but his wife remained in the vehicle, asleep in the back seat.

According to Cordes, his wife awakened him shortly before 11 p.m. and asked for money for gambling and the car keys. He said he tried to persuade her to stay home, but that she left on foot for the Westin St. Maarten Hotel, about a 10-minute walk.

A hotel spokeswoman said surveillance tapes from that evening show that she never entered the hotel or casino.

An Orange County sheriff's spokesman said deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the Cordes' Mission Viejo home in January 2007, but no arrests were made.

Cordes said he called authorities when his wife became violent after arguing over life insurance. He said she chased him into his home office with a hammer.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:868975388&start=5

[martini]

Cordes Remains in Custody - Suspected in Wife Disappearance http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/207-cordes-remains-in-custody-suspected-in-wife-disappearance.html
Philipsburg: --- The judge of instruction has granted police an eight day extension to further keep Frank Cordes in custody as they investigate the disappearance of his wife Leta Lynn Cordes...

[bleachedblack]

Frank Cordes werd gisteren voor de derde voorgeleid.


‘Nog hoop Leta Cordes te vinden’

1 Nov, 2008, 15:20 (GMT -04:00)
PHILIPSBURG — Het Openbaar Ministerie hoopt nog steeds de vermiste Amerikaanse toeriste Leta Lynn Cordes te vinden, maar na tien maanden ‘zal er waarschijnlijk weinig over zijn’ van de 49-jarige vrouw.

Haar echtgenoot Frank Cordes zit vast op verdenking van betrokkenheid bij haar verdwijning. Cordes werd ruim twee weken terug aangehouden en zit sindsdien in voorarrest. Gisteren verscheen hij voor de derde maal voor de rechter-commissaris. Hij heeft niet bekend iets met de vermissing te maken te hebben, aldus hoofdofficier van justitie Taco Stein.
De autoriteiten verwachten niet veel terug te vinden van Leta Cordes, na zoveel tijd. De vrouw verdween begin januari. Stein zei dat de zaak als een vermissing wordt behandeld tot bewijsmateriaal zou leiden tot de conclusie dat het moord betreft.

[martini]

Written by Samuel Allen     
Friday, 07 November 2008 02:32 
www.sxmislandtime.com
PHILIPSBURG - The detention of suspect Frank Cordes has once again been extended. The investigating Judge in Philipsburg Friday morning saw it fit to extend the detention of Frank Cordes for up to 60 days.

Prosecutor Taco Stein in an earlier comment stated that the arrest of Frank Cordes was based on newly discovered circumstances that have heightened the suspicion that he had something to do with the disappearance of his wife Leta Lynn Cordes since the 11th of January 2008.

This latest extension of the detention by the Judge, is being seen as a positive indication that more evidence in the Cordes case has been discovered than has being revealed by the authorities.

Cordes detention can now be extended for another 30 days and in a worse case senario, the Judge can extend the detention again for another 30 days before going to trial.

The suspect can be held for questioning with the approval of the judge from between 106 to 136 days. This is the first 60 day extension of Cordes detention and the third extension of his detention since he was arrested on the 14th of October at his home. 

[martini]

Frank Cordes Released In Leta Lynn’s Disappearance
January 28, 2009 by MissionViejoDispatch.com

    A St Maarten neighbor of Frank Cordes informed the MV Dispatch today that Frank was released from jail yesterday. The Mission Viejo resident had been arrested on October 14 as a suspect in the disppearance of his wife, Leta Lynn. 

    Windward Islands Prosecutor Taco Stein told the St Martin News that Frank remains a suspect in the case.  Although the court approved the extended three-month pre-trial detention, Stein still does not have enough evidence to make a case.

    Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic dispute between Frank and Leta Lynn at their Mission Viejo home in 2007, but no arrests were made.  Frank said the relationship was harmonious since that time.

    Leta Lynn, 49, left the couple’s hotel alone on January 11, 2008 to walk to the Westin Casino, where she was a regular customer.  She was never seen again.  The couple visited the island each year and were purchasing a vacation home there.

    A year after the disappearance friends of Leta Lynn are organizing a new search for her with the assistance of volunteers and local authorities, according to the St Maarten Private Eye.  They plan to bring cadaver dogs from the U.S. to aid the effort.  Friends have appealed to Frank to bring closure to the matter if he was involved.

http://missionviejodispatch.com/2009/01/28/frank-cordes-released-in-leta-lynns-death/

[Nut44x4]

 

[martini]

Great Bay, St. Martin (January 30, 2009)-AVS News spoke with Public Prosecutor Taco Stein regarding the recent release of Frank Cordes,
who was arrested on October 14 as a suspect in the disappearance of his wife Leta Lynn Cordes over a year ago. The judge of instruction found that there was insufficient evidence to hold Cordes any longer and ordered his release.

“Cordes’ movements will be restricted, as he might be needed for further information, because the investigation is ongoing,” Stein told AVS News. “He will remain a suspect, at the moment no body has been found, so it is difficult, to make a case

http://www.avsnewsonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2685&Itemid=54

[martini]

Great Bay, St. Martin (February 12, 2009) - There will be a massive search on February 16th and 17th on the French side of Saint Martin for missing American woman Leta Lynn Cordes. .
According to reports reaching AVS News, family members of Leta along with reporters from two major American news networks will also form part of this search. The advanced search team includes professionals from Dutch Law Enforcement, French Gendarme, VKS, Checkmate and Sheriff Security as well as an expertly trained search team from the United States. It is believed that Leta’s remains are buried on the island, and family and friends intend to find her. Their goal is to simply bring peace to Leta’s family and friends, as well as bring Leta back to California for a proper burial.

The husband of Leta Cordes, Frank Cordes was released from pre-trial detention on January 26th, 2009, but he still remains a suspect in his wife Leta Cordes disappearance. Public Prosecutor Taco Stein said that the prosecution has requested from the judge of instruction a suspension of Frank Cordes detention since they do not have enough evidence to move the case to court. He was arrested on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 as a suspect in his missing wife disappearance.

Leta Lynn Cordes disappeared on the night of January 11, 2008 when she allegedly left by foot to go the Westin Casino to gamble. The last person that saw the 49 year old Mission Viejo, California woman alive was her husband Frank Cordes who filed an official police report one day later

http://www.avsnewsonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2759&Itemid=54

[martini]

update on new search~

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/1264-massive-search-for-leta-lynn-cordes-on-french-side-of-island-friends-of-cordes-want-to-give-her-proper-burial-said-investigators-are-acting-smartly.html

[martini]

www.sxmislandtime.com

Frank Cordes speaks..

It was about midday on Tuesday, February 17. Hip-hop music played off speakers connected to a MacBook laptop as Frank Cordes welcomed reporters into his Dawn Beach home, offering water and sodas to the four media representatives and then sitting down for his first interview since local authorities released him from detention.

About 45 minutes later, Cordes had talked about investigators apparently prolonging his detention on a whim, lashed out at Today newspaper's coverage in the early weeks of the disappearance, and complained that authorities had not done enough, in his opinion.

Cordes' only stipulation to reporters was that they not record or film him having the conversation.

The Germany-born animator told local media reps that the 13 months since Leta went missing had left him desensitised to the investigation. “It's just a case. … The more that time goes on, the more bizarre it (the case) gets,” he responded to questions about his feelings about the work being done to locate his wife.

While Cordes readily acknowledged the turmoil in his two-decade marriage, he maintained his innocence, telling reporters the local authorities, Leta's friends and Today newspaper (which he called Today magazine) were looking for any excuse to paint him the killer.

Searches of Cordes' home and vehicle several months after Leta's disappearance turned up nothing but ketchup and transmission fluid, according to him. Independent searches have also turned up nothing.

Frank Cordes insisted he would have joined Karas and Honstein's search, but “I was not invited,” likening his participation in the search efforts to attending a party uninvited. “If you're in school, and a group of girls are having a party, do you crash it?”

Dressed in jeans and a buttoned-down shirt he had put on after reporters knocked on his door looking for an interview, Cordes maintained that ties with Leta's friends had dissolved last year following a debacle involving the reward money, and had never recovered.

However, the family's relationships are solid, Cordes said, slipping in and out of his German accent.

The couple's marriage was on the rocks for a long time before Leta vanished. Leta was a drinker and a partier who had often gone gambling until late in the morning, he said. He said it would not have been unlike her to vanish on her own. “You would have to know Leta,” Cordes said.

Cordes willingly revealed the evidence authorities had found that had led to his detention: a slip of paper with scratched out dates detailing the night's event, conversation excerpts from a four-month wiretap and some chemical residue in the back of a rental car he had once used.

A June 2008 burglary forced Cordes, already removed from island life by mounting allegations, to remove a window leading to his condo overlooking Oyster Pond.

Cordes holds a grudge against the “overzealous” attitudes of local prosecutors, saying they had been quicker to find reasons to keep him detained than they had been to disprove theories against his having killed his wife.

He is upset that investigators took almost eight months to question his mother, who only speaks German, the only other person in the Cordes home the night Leta vanished. Friends and neighbours reportedly corroborated his story.

He asserts to being US $100,000 in debt and needing to fly to California, where his animation studio is located, for longer stints to recoup the losses in the past few months.

Archery is a pastime for Cordes now. He escorted reporters out past a bundle of arrows piled on top of each other and two scope-mounted bows. He readied one of the bows, placed a practice tip on one arrow, and noted that since the battery was dead he had little control over its path. Aiming and letting the arrow fly at a target several feet away, Cordes told reporters, “(Archery) relaxes me.”
 

http://sxmislandtime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5166:leta-search-day-2-turns-up-nothing-&catid=31:general&Itemid=76
 

[caesu]

RST interested in
Cordes interview

PHILIPSBURG--Detectives of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST are interested in getting their hands on audio recordings made during an interview with U.S. citizen Frank Cordes at his Dawn Beach home earlier this week, The Daily Herald understands.

Cordes, who was in custody until recently as a suspect in his wife Leta’s disappearance, spoke to reporters on Tuesday for the first time since his release, coinciding with the second day of a renewed search for the missing American woman.

This newspaper understands that RST has requested recordings used in recent Arts Video Studio (AVS) News broadcasts during which Cordes talks at length about his relationship with Leta and his reasons for not joining the search, and defends his innocence.

Cordes mentioned several things to reporters, including his time spent in prison and the events leading up to and immediately following his wife’s January 11, 2008, disappearance. U.S. television networks CBS and NBC are also interested in the tape for specials about the Cordes search on which they’re working.

Leta Cordes’ closest friend Elaine Karas said her search team was waiting on Wednesday for directions from French and Dutch police to continue its investigations, after two days of searching in and around Le Galion Beach and Coconut Grove turned up nothing positive.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/l233/rstl233.html

[texasmom]

http://www.avsnewsonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2786&Itemid=1





Frank Cordes speaks out, while close friend of Leta focuses on search
             

Great Bay, St. Martin (February 17, 2009)-AVS News had the privilege of speaking with Frank Cordes, husband of missing Californian woman Leta Lynn Cordes, and Elaine Haras, Leta’s best friend for 35 years.

AVS News asked Frank if he was part of the search party that is currently searching for Leta in the area of La Galion, and he told AVS News that he does not go where he is not invited. According to Elaine, Frank knows about the search. “It is his choice not to be present, he knows where we are,” said Elaine.

Frank on the other hand thinks that as time goes by things keep getting more bizarre, with all the rumours and speculations since the disappearance of Leta over a year ago. People are speculating that Frank has a girlfriend, something he denies. Speculations have also been arising that Leta had a boyfriend, and on the night of her disappearance she had asked Frank for a divorce. Frank told AVS News that on the night of her disappearance he had left her on the back seat of the car passed out after they had returned from dinner.

“I am not sure if she ran away or if she was kidnapped, and I am not sure what she took with her,” said Frank.

According to Frank, Leta’s friends have been trying to destroy the relationship he has with Leta’s family. He tod AVS News that after Leta had disappeared and he was told by the neighbour that he had spoken to Leta on the back seat of the car, he (Frank) started to sketch out a time line as to when she could have left the home. “Elaine came to the house the following day and found the paper with the time line in the garbage and immediately started speculating that I had planned Leta’s disappearance and went to the media with that and many more speculations.

“Nasty stories started appearing in the “TODAY,” her friends reported that I was on vacation in Germany, whereas I was not, all to give the perception that I am a very cold person,” said Frank.

Frank states that from the beginning of Leta’s disappearance he has been very cooperative with the prosecutor’s office. “I told Taco Stein early in the investigation that I don’t know what kind of investigation you are doing, as you never searched my house, nor my car or my body for scratch marks,” said Frank.

But friends of Leta have not lost hope as they are currently searching Le Galion for any signs of remains of Leta. “We started the search at 6AM today Tuesday with volunteer teams comprising of Sheriff Security, Checkmate Security and the VKS here in the Le Galion area, because of tips/leads that we have received that she might be buried on the island, and possibly in this area,” said Elaine.

“I have known Leta for 35 years, and she would not just disappear on her own, she has a son, and a mother with Alzheimer’s who is dying,” said Elaine.

Man power along with cadaver dogs has been able to notice things that were not noticed before. The search team has been guided to come to the Le Galion area with the goal of finding Leta’s remains and giving her a proper burial.

Elaine got a bit emotional when she was conveying her gratitude to the people of St. Maarten. She is very grateful to the local authorities, and all those that have been very helpful, caring and supportive, and to them all they owe their thanks.
 

***Nut changed the title/added Leta's name

[martini]

The Party's Over... Elaine was Frank's girlfriend. She was on the island the next day after leta disappeared. I don't think she left and came back. She rented a rental car and frank and her used it on January 12th, 2008. They were spotted at mamas pizza near his villa.

[klaasend]

The Party's Over... Elaine was Frank's girlfriend. She was on the island the next day after leta disappeared. I don't think she left and came back. She rented a rental car and frank and her used it on January 12th, 2008. They were spotted at mamas pizza near his villa.

Martini - good to see you.  This guy is a dirtbag and I hope they can get him. 

[martini]

Frank was in the villa on the computer when Leta woke up and she entered the villa and called "Bobbie" her boyfriend but Frank and Leta used Skype and Frank saw that she was on the phone with Bobbie. He knew it was over. They were not swingers they did not learn the lifestyle! 

[martini]

Dateline http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30625972// aired a hour long coverage about Missing Leta~ Transcript from a reporter can be found at the link above.   

[martini]

There is an archive of all the news on the missing Leta case here...

http://sxmprivateeye.com/node/12212 

[martini]

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2009-05-19 12:40.
on SXM Private Eye
Hi Flipper,

How are you? First of all I would like to thank you for your concern about the well being of Leta Cordes, it is very much appreciated. Leta is a very dear friend and all of us that know her and love her miss her terribly. The pain her disappearance has caused her family and friends is more than I can even begin to describe.

The RST has been diligent in their efforts to locate Mrs. Cordes. They do indeed feel she is deceased. Search efforts are continuing to locate her remains. The investigation is OPEN and we hope and pray for JUSTICE.

Dateline aired some information that was distorted and disturbing to say the least. For the RECORD...I am NOT Frank Cordes 'girlfriend". The implication is wrong. Lets all keep focused and find our dear friend. Mr. Cordes distractions and allegations WILL NOT STOP US from searching for the truth.

We are determined to bring Leta home for a proper burial so she can rest peacefully along side her family. We are equally determined to get this perpetrator behind bars for committing this horrific crime against an innocent woman.

The citizens of Sint Maarten / Saint Martin have been incredible, caring and more helpful than we could have ever asked for. THANK YOU so much to EVERYONE that continues to reach out and give us a hand. Our GRATITUDE to ALL of YOU is in our hearts every moment of every day.

If ANYONE in Sint Maarten knows ANYTHING at all that can help us locate Leta Cordes PLEASE contact the RST at 599-542-8761.

My best to all of you,

Elaine Karas
Friends of Leta Cordes

http://sxmprivateeye.com/node/16425#comments 

[Edward]

Thank You So much Martini
Thank really puts everything back into perspective.

[martini]

I still have my suspicion against Elaine, I feel she controls all the searches and her partner is neck deep in her attack against her friend????