POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff’s Office held a news conference Tuesday morning to provide the latest updates on a murder case involving a husband and wife from Pompano Beach.
Detectives are still searching for the body of Irene “Letty” Lanning Xeniti, who they believe was murdered by her husband, Ian Lanning.
Xeniti’s body has not yet been found, but detectives said they found evidence that Xeniti was murdered inside her home.
They said her husband also had inconsistencies in his story to them.
“One of the red flags -- initially he said the last time he saw her was on the 14th (of May). Through the investigation of us tracking their movements, we could tell that was inaccurate,” Sgt. Kevin Forsberg said.
Xeniti, 53, was reported missing by her daughter on May 30.
Lanning told investigators his wife left their home on May 14 following an argument and that he hadn’t seen her since, which they say is not true.
“We were able to track their movements up until the 21st,” Forsberg said.
Detectives said Xeniti was last seen alive on May 21 after she dropped off a friend and detectives believe she was killed by her husband once she returned home.
A search warrant was obtained on June 8. Detectives said they found a gruesome scene inside the couple’s Pompano Beach home.
“I can tell you there was an extensive amount of evidence in that house and it paints a gruesome picture,” Forsberg said. “We are confident that Irene is deceased and we are looking for her remains to get them home to her family members.”
Detectives believe Xeniti’s body may have been disposed of in the water.
“The initial focal point is the northern part of Broward County intracoastal waterways, pretty close to the Palm Beach border, but it’s been a long time since then. That’s why we are widening the scope of where we are looking,” Sgt. Bryan Tutler said.
Detectives also point out that there were no domestic-related calls to the couple’s home.
At this point, they are actively searching for Xeniti’s remains, and are asking the public to come forward if they have had any contact with the suspect these past few weeks.
The victim is survived by her two children, and friends who loved her dearly.
“It’s horrible. I never imagined someone like her would be murdered,” her friend, Dianna Painton, said.
Lanning remains jailed on a murder charge.
Anyone with further information on the case is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.