Raymond Roth, the man police had assumed to drown off the coast of Jones Beach last Saturday, is not currently in custody because according to South Carolina police, being “missing” isn’t a crime. But investigators are still determining if the series of events that led to a days-long search at Jones Beach for Roth, who appears to have faked his death and was later found to be alive and well living in Florida, will amount to charges against him.
The Nassau County District Attorney has issued a statement saying that the County will be following the police investigation into the matter, but it is still too early to determine if crimes were committed.
Evana Roth, the wife of the presumed-drowning victim, said she was shocked to learn that he husband had been pulled over for speeding in South Carolina. That is where Mr. Roth admitted to authorities that he was experiencing financial and marital difficulties.
While it is still unclear if Mr. Roth was at Jones Beach the day his son reported him missing to the Park Police, it is known that he had been living in Florida before being stopped in Santee, S.C. for speeding. Evana Roth had discovered emails between her husband and his adult son from a previous marriage which were sent after his supposed disappearance off the coast of Field 6 at 3:30 p.m. last Saturday. Roth’s son told Park Police on Saturday that he had seen his father swim straight out from the shore, and then lost sight of him.
Roth and his wife, married for 12 years, had a prenuptial agreement that had expired. Following that, Roth had his wife sign over her rights to their property, which had recently been refinanced. According to neighbors, Roth had put the property up for sale last week. The search for Roth was ultimately called off after one of his relatives informed Park Police that he was alive and living in Florida.
According to her attorney, Evana Roth had “no clue” of her husband’s plan to fake his own death. Recent reports have suggested that since her husband was discovered alive, Evana Roth has received threatening texts from Mr. Roth, advising her to speak kindly of him at press interviews.
Updates in the case will be reported right here on LongIsland.com.
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