Detectives Detail Reasons for Eyeing David Perry as the Suspect in Girlfriend's Disappearance

LARGO - Homicide detectives Michael Bailey and Amy Plourde said today that David Perry went from being a person of interest to a suspect in his girlfriend's disappearance after an encounter with him in Elmira, NY.

“He was unnerved,” Bailey told reporters during a Largo press conference today at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. “He flew out the door when he saw us.”

Perry was the live-in boyfriend of Kelly Rothwell, who has not been seen since March 12. Perry moved out of the couple's Indian Rocks Beach condo for New York the same day she vanished. He has refused to talk with detectives about her whereabouts.

On June 6, Perry was brought into the Elmira police stationto sign documents to have his vehicle released from police custody. “It was our opportunity to speak to him,” Bailey said.

Perry refused. “He ran out the front door into the parking lot,” Bailey said, “He was not going to talk to us with or without an attorney.”

Rothwell, a St. Pete police cadet, vanished after having lunch with a friend in a Clearwater Chili’s. She told a friend she was headed home to end her relationship with Perry. 

During Bailey and Plourde’s trip to Elmira they conducted a series of interviews with some of Perry’s associates and family members.

Some family members refused to speak with detectives. One relative asked for an attorney prior to having an interview with detectives, Bailey said.

Despite Perry being named a suspect, no charges have been filed and the investigation remains a missing person's case.

“It is still a missing persons investigation, but this is one step closer to making it more of a criminal investigation on the homicide side,” Plourde said.

Detectives learned that prior to Rothwell’s disappearance Perry cancelled his gym membership. He told an acquaintance at the gym that it was because he and Rothwell were moving to Hawaii.

However, Rothwell, 35, never mentioned moving to Hawaii to her family and friends, detectives said.

“It was kind of odd...It was suspicious,” Bailey said.

After Rothwell’s disappearance detectives learned that Perry had a new girlfriend who recently moved to Hawaii.

“It may or may not be a coincidence that his new girlfriend has moved to Hawaii,” Plourde said.

Although the investigation remains a missing persons, detectives don’t believe Rothwell is alive.

“It’s too early to say that Perry is a suspect in her death,” Bailey said, “We have to establish she is deceased.” He bases his theory on his experience dealing with homicide cases.

Rothwell was set to graduate from St. Petersburg Police Academy with her Spring 2011 class on April 13. During the graduation ceremony her named was listed among the graduates.

“She was a member of a police academy, which is as you know is a Monday through Friday, job morning to night,” Plourde said.

“For us to hear that he told people at a gym that they were moving to Hawaii was definitely out of left field,” she added.

Based on the circumstantial evidence and interviews, Plourde said that criminal circumstances surround Rothwell’s disappearance.

Since the case is an open investigation detectives could not elaborate on other evidence and information gathered during interviews that led them to suspect Perry in Rothwell’s disappearance.

Bailey did say there was nothing in Rothwell and Perry’s apartment that appeared out of the ordinary. In about a month they will receive lab results from evidence collected from the apartment, Bailey said.

On May 5, Perry was arrested and charged with insurance fraud and grand larceny for allegedly faking an injury while he worked as a New York State correctional officer. He was released on bond. The terms of his bond prohibit him from leaving the state of New York.

Detectives are looking for information on Rothwell or Perry’s whereabouts on Saturday, March 12, between 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“These things take a lot of time...we’re talking about significant amount of circumstantial evidence that we have to piece together,” Plourde said.