Lauren Lichon Murder Feb. 5, 2009, Sarasota, FL (Arrest Made)

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Maverick1862/murder%20victims/LaurenLichon.jpg

Lauren Lichon (22) was murdered and her death is being investigated

Date: Feb 05, 2009
Cause of Death: Murder
Location: Sarasota, FL


Authorities are searching for the missing vehicle owned by a 22-year-old Sarasota woman found slain last week.


The body of Lauren Whitney Lichon, 22, who was last known to be residing at a Sarasota Days Inn, was discovered at 2:10 p.m. Thursday near the entrance to the Rye Wilderness Trail in North Manatee, according to a Manatee sheriff's report.

Detectives are now looking for Lichon's car, a 1996 two-door black Dodge Avenger with tinted windows with Florida tag F310RV.

Authorities believe finding the car may provide clues to Lichon's killing, sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow said.

It is believed that Lichon was killed between 1 and 2 p.m. Thursday. Her body was spotted by a mosquito control employee just east of North Rye Road and 20 feet south of Rye Wilderness Trail. There were visible signs of trauma to Lichon's body. Investigators are not releasing the cause of death.

Anyone with information may call the Sheriff's Office at 747-3011 or CrimeStoppers at (866) 634-8477.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090210/ARTICLE/902100299/2076/NEWS?Title=Detectives_seek_car_owned_by_slain_woma n

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Vehicle Located
http://tinyurl.com/adm438
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Man arrested in 2009 slaying
Updated: Thursday, Mar. 04, 2010
MANATEE — A 22-year-old woman had begged for her life just before she was shot to death during a botched drug deal last year.

The man who reportedly shot her to death, 34-year-old Jose Luis Marrero, of Bradenton, was arrested on a warrant for murder when he appeared in court Tuesday for violating his probation on a theft charge, according to court documents.

Lauren Whitney Lichon, of Sarasota, was shot once in the head and once in the chest as she was sitting behind the wheel of her car in a wooded area off Rye Road near Rye Wilderness Trail, according to a lead detective’s complaint for a warrant.

As Marrero pointed a revolver at her, she began to cry and said, “You can have everything,” according to the complaint.

Lichon drove out to the area with Marrero and his 14-year-old nephew shortly before her death.

Detectives were able to make an arrest Wednesday after the teen, now 15, told authorities he sat in the backseat of Lichon’s car and watched Marrero shoot her to death.

“(The teen) did not come forward sooner with this information because he was afraid of being charged criminally because Marrero told him he would ‘get a murder charge’ because he was ‘in the car,’ ’’ according to the complaint.

Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube would not disclose a possible motive in Lichon’s killing.

Lichon, who was staying at the Days Inn, 4900 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, most likely had a large amount of cash — an estimated $2,550 — in her purse at the time of her death to purchase drugs, the complaint stated. Her purse was never found after her body was discovered and $6,000 was found in the night stand in her hotel room.

Initially, the teen told investigators he knew nothing about Lichon’s slaying when questioned last month, according to the complaint.

Steube declined to state how investigators were led to the boy.

The teen took detectives this week to the Goodwill parking lot where Marrero had his car parked and identified a storage business, where Lichon’s black 1996 two-door Dodge Avenger was abandoned near the Whitfield Business Center, 7050 15th St. E., Bradenton.

Marrero allegedly wiped the car down to remove fingerprints before abandoning it, according to the complaint.

Investigators found blood on the inside of the driver’s window as well as a “degraded DNA profile on the steering wheel cover.”

The male DNA did not match Marrero, according to the warrant.

Steube, who would not go into details, said investigators are still waiting on more DNA evidence to come back from the lab.

Investigators found Lichon’s car five days after she was killed.

Marrero reportedly brokered a drug deal for Lichon to purchase 300 Roxicodone pills at $8.50 per pill, according to the complaint.

Lichon and her boyfriend of six years, who is incarcerated in Sarasota County Jail, were forging prescriptions and selling the pills — mostly oxycodone and Roxicodone. When her boyfriend was arrested, Lichon took over the business, according to the complaint. She also had a relationship with another inmate at the Sarasota jail and stayed in touch with both men as she prepared to make transactions to purchase drugs, DVDs and an iPod from Marrero, according to the complaint.

Authorities were able to use cell phone tower pings and records to establish a time line and location leading up to Lichon’s death. She always kept her cell phone and her boyfriend’s cell phone with her, according to the complaint.

The complaint stated Marrero shot Lichon once and when she tried to get out of the car, he shot her again. He dragged her by the ankles into the tree line where her body was found by a Mosquito Control employee in the 900 block of Rye Road on Feb. 5, 2009, the complaint said.

In December, Marrero’s residence was searched by authorities looking for firearms, ammunition and a gold Gucci purse belonging to Lichon. Steube would not state whether authorities found the gun used to kill Lichon.

Investigators seized 2,785 pirated DVDs, along with a multi-tray DVD copier. The teen told investigators he often accompanied Marrero while they sold and delivered pirated DVDs to people. On the date of Lichon’s death, he thought they were going to deliver more DVDs, he said.

Steube said authorities, although he wouldn’t state which agency, is also pursuing piracy charges against Marrero.

http://www.bradenton.com/2010/03/04/2104212/man-arrested-in-rye-road-slaying.html