MIRAMAR, Fla. – A new reward of up to $400,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the unsolved 2007 killings of a mother and daughter outside an upscale South Florida mall.
The FBI and Boca Raton police announced during a Tuesday afternoon news conference that they believe the killer of Nancy Bochicchio, 47, and her 7-year-old daughter, Joey Bochicchio, has ties to the Miami area.
Their bodies were found in their still-running sport utility vehicle in the parking lot of the Town Center at Boca Raton on Dec. 12, 2007. Both had been bound and fatally shot.
"Let's be candid -- this is personal," Boca Raton Police Chief Daniel Alexander said. "We care about them. We care about Nancy and Joey. We care about achieving justice for both of them."
Boca Raton police believe the victims were abducted and taken to an ATM, where they were forced to withdraw $500. A 911 call from Bochicchio's cellphone was received by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, but it was disconnected before dispatchers could answer.
No one has been arrested, but Boca Raton police believe the killings are linked to an August 2007 carjacking in which the victim survived. That victim provided information that led to a sketch of the man believed to be responsible.
Investigators believe that the plastic ties and duct tape found at the crime scene were purchased from a major home-improvement store in Miami-Dade County.
Authorities also said Nancy Bochicchio's cellphone and credit cards were found in the county.
"It's about putting a new set of eyes on this older investigation and not forgetting the two people who were murdered that day," FBI Special Agent Michael D'Alonzo said.
While Bochicchio's sister and brother-in-law, JoAnn and Stan Bruno, were at the news conference Tuesday, they did not speak.
The FBI has contributed $50,000 to the $350,000 already being offered by the city of Boca Raton.
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