David Perry
Kelly Rothwell
St. Petersburg, Florida - Police cadet Kelly Rothwell and her boyfriend David Perry had a rocky relationship.
Everyone who knew them says he was domineering and followed her every move. Kelly was in the police academy and became empowered, friends say, as she rose to the top of her class. The young woman had enough, sources tell 10 News. She was ready to end the tumultuous union with Perry.
When Rothwell went to their Indian Rocks Beach condo in March of 2011 to break up with him, no one ever saw Kelly again.
Her best friend, Donna Scharrett told us, "She's tried to break up with him in the past, and he's always tried to dominate."
Witnesses say David Perry stalked the young cadet and her best friend that entire weekend. In fact, sources say, Perry followed them to a local Publix supermarket.
Even detectives say Perry was obsessed.
Pinellas detective Michael Bailey said, "We have a very tight timeline of the stalking case. There's time frames. There's phone calls. There's traveling, there's all kinds of things happening. There's a very tight timeline on the stalking case."
Right now, the state attorney's office is reviewing felony stalking charges and looking closely at the case. However, they did not indicate when the charges would officially be filed. It could be two or three weeks.
Rothwell's friends have said all along that David Perry threatened to kill her if she ever broke up with him.
Detective Bailey explained why felony stalking charges are being pursued.
"Basically, they follow the person, excessive phone calling, wanting to know their whereabouts, tracking the person down, wanting to know their every move, that type of thing. So that's what happened in this case, without giving any details of it," Detective Bailey told 10 News.
Right now, detectives say, there's simply not enough evidence to charge Perry with murder. But the charge of felony stalking may be a possibility.
Normally, the law would require that the victim make the complaint. However, since Kelly Rothwell is missing, the state attorney's office could file charges based on the testimony of Rothwell's best friend, who was there that final weekend and saw everything.
Donna Scharrett said at a recent vigil, "He murdered my friend. He doesn't deserve freedom."
Perry is currently living in New York. He has put his home up for sale. Meanwhile, his new wife, Melissa Marie Walker, recently filed for divorce on December 30, 2011.
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