April, 2008 -- Page 1

South Florida Media Coverage

*~ April, 2008 -- Page 1 ~*


In Loving Memory Of Nancy Bochicchio & her daughter, Joey Noel Bochicchio-Hauser

Video tribute to Nancy & Joey Bochicchio (4/1/08)
Michaela Paige singing I don’t understand (4/1/08)
Tip On Raleigh and Boca Cases Being Looked Into (4/10/08)
Casual Friday helps focus attention on Bochicchio case (4/18/08)
Murdered woman's family is suing Boca's Town Center mall (4/22/08)
Gorenberg family plans suit against Town Center Mall (4/22/08)
Lawsuit filed against Town Center mall owners over 2007 murder (4/23/08)
Town Center mall's security lax, Gorenberg's attorneys claim (4/23/08)
Murdered woman's family sues mall (4/23/08)
Another lawsuit brought against Boca mall (4/23/08)
Gorenberg family files suit against Town Center Mall (4/24/08)
Randi Gorenberg's husband sues Town Center at Boca Raton (4/24/08)

Video tribute to Nancy & Joey Bochicchio
Posted in News & Announcements

Michaela Paige from Omni Middle School wrote and helped produce this touching music video in memory of Nancy and Joey Bochicchio who were murdered Dec 13 at Town Center Mall in Boca Raton. It is a beautiful tribute to both mother and daughter. (sent in by Michaela’s father Frank).

Watch the video here.
http://www.todaysteenonline.com/2008/04/07/28/

http://www.todaysteenonline.com/2008/04/07/video-tribute-to-nancy-joey-bochicchio/

For Today’s Teen’s MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/todaysteen

Posted by Mary Kay at 6:22 PM

Michaela Paige singing I don’t understand

Written & Performed by: Michaela Paige
Produced by: Kenneth "KBoogie" Jackson
Music by: Jose Lopez
Copyright 2008 Michaela Paige, Inc./Crazybaby Records, Inc.

Twelve-year old west Boca singing sensation, wrote and recorded I don’t Understand. It’s a tribute to Nancy Bochicchio Band her daughter, Joey who were brutally murdered after shopping at Town Center in Boca Raton just before Christmas last year.

All proceeds from the CD will be given to St. Jude Catholic School in Boca Raton where Joey was in the 2nd grade or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Hear Michaela sing live:
Saturday, Apr. 5 after 8 p.m.
The Colony Hotel & Cabana Club
525 E.Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach
On the Porch Bar
Free

http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/2712369/

Tip On Raleigh and Boca Cases Being Looked Into

By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Apr. 10, 2008 7:25 a.m.
Updated: Apr. 10, 2008 2:06 p.m.
ALL COUNTIES

NC WANTED received a tip pointing out the similarities between these sketches. Raleigh police are now looking into whether the Boca Raton murders are related to Jenna Nielsen's unsolved homicide.

At first glance, these sketches may look like the same man. The descriptions are similar: a young white or Hispanic male with a medium build and a ponytail; but there is a large difference in descriptions given for the man's height.

One is wanted for questioning in the slaying of a pregnant Raleigh woman behind Food Mart last summer. The other is a suspect in three homicides at a mall in Boca Raton, Florida.

The Boca Raton suspect also appears to be developing a bizarre signature in his killing method by abducting women at the mall, binding them and putting goggles over their eyes before shooting them. The Jenna Nielsen suspect, however, killed his eight months pregnant victim by delivering one fatal stab wound.

But witness descriptions are not always accurate. Also, serial killers can adapt their killing methods over time, gaining confidence as they elude authorities.

This brings attention to the importance of sketches in ongoing investigations. NC WANTED decided to research the art and science of forensic art.

A high-profile example is the person of interest sketch in the Jenna Neilsen case. It has been featured nationally on FOX network's America's Most Wanted, and locally on billboards throughout our area.

Law enforcement agencies in North Carolina frequently use digital imaging software to come up with a composite image of a suspect, mixing and matching the software's database of physical features. But sometimes the software falls short.

That's where sketch artists like John Sorie come in. Sorie, an officer with the Fayetteville Police department, drew the Jenna Neilsen person of interest sketch last year. He studied forensic facial imaging at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia and is one of the only sketch artists in the state.

"[The police] had somebody who had seen that person of interest and they went as far as they could with their computerized composite thing," Sorie said about the Jenna Nielsen sketch. "The witness said it just wasn't getting it, but there was nothing else they could do because what they had was what they had."

So Raleigh police called Sorie. He said agencies don't use sketches "nearly enough" and he believes the police needed a sketch artist to capture the subtleties of the person of interest's appearance that aren't possible with computer software.

If a computer program only has two dozen sets of eyes, two dozen noses and two dozen mouths to choose from, he explained, someone with drawing skills needs to fill in the gaps.

But composites do present challenges for law enforcement agencies. They are based on witness descriptions, and often witnesses will only remember certain stand-out details rather than a whole face.

"Most people remember a few things about this person they're trying to describe. Usually eyes or a big nose stand out," Sorie said. The sketch artist then has to fill in the blanks.

"It varies a lot from person to person. Some people are just better at it than others or the look they got at somebody was good enough," said Jim Sughrue, spokesman for Raleigh police. "Some people will say, you know, 'I'll never forget that face.'"

The victim or witness then ranks the sketch on a scale of 1 to 10 on how close of a likeness the sketch shares with the suspect they've described. If the sketch doesn't get an 8 or 9 ranking from the victim or witness, police will typically not release the sketch.

"The composite is only as good as the accuracy of the eyewitness and the ability of the interviewer to pull that information out of the witness," said Melanie Thomas, former assistant director of the State Bureau of Investigation who currently serves as an expert consultant for NC WANTED.

The SBI no longer uses computer software to make a composite and hires a sketch artist from another agency if a composite is needed.

Even when the witness approves the sketch, police do sometimes worry the image could be misleading.

"Like any piece of information, it can always have the negative possibility that somebody who has seen something else in the area that might be important won't call saying "Well, the person I saw didn't look like that" or didn't look like that to them," Sughrue said.

He pointed out that sketches are only used occasionally, in cases where there are no suspects identified and perhaps a lack of other evidence.

Sorie agreed. He said the sketch should only be used as a tool to generate leads.

"It's merely supposed to be a representation. The person of interest or suspect looks like this drawing and that's all you have to go on," said Sorie.

If you have information on unsolved homicides in North Carolina, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.

Copyright 2008 by WRAL.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Casual Friday helps focus attention on Bochicchio case
4/18/08
Reported by: Eric Glasser
Email: eglasser@wptv.com
Photographer: Dan Puente
Last Update: 3:41 pm

It may have taken a while for mortgage broker WCS Lending to get with the whole dress-down Friday thing. But when they finally did, they also thought it might be nice to go casual, for a cause. And that is how they came up with Friday Five.

Workers who want to be a little more comfy in their khakis or delve into denim, each pay five dollars for the privilege. Then the money is pooled together and donated to a particular charity.

"If you were to give a $5 tip at a restaurant that's no big deal," says worker Rob McElroy, "But when you're helping people it makes you feel good, I think."

And with more than a hundred people on staff at WCS those denim dollars add up.

"So we have a chance to really do some good," says Director of Business Development Miles Rosenthal. "Raise some money for some really great charities, and we get to wear jeans and stay comfortable every other Friday."

WCS then had to decide which cause to go casual for first. And the answer - was right in front of them.

Joni Tabano works for WCS and was also best friends with Nancy Bochicchio before she and daughter Joey were murdered outside Boca's Town Center mall just before Christmas.

Joni asked her bosses if proceeds from the first "Friday Five" might be dedicated to the Bochicchio's favorite charities, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and St. Jude Catholic Church where Joey went to school. The company's answer?

"Absolutely. One-hundred percent, let's get behind it," said Rosenthal.

It was a response that will not only help others financially, but will help Joni to keep a promise she made to herself when she lost her best friend.
"This will be in the news as much as I can get it out there. I don't ever want them to be forgotten."

Murdered woman's family is suing Boca's Town Center mall

Palm Beach Post Staff Report

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The family of Randi Gorenberg, a wife and mother who was shot to death in a park west of Delray Beach last year, is suing The Town Center mall in Boca Raton and its corporate parent, Simon Property Group, alleging negligence in Gorenberg's death.

Gorenberg, 52, was shot in the head and pushed from her black 2007 Mercedes Benz sport utility vehicle near Jog and Morikami Park roads on March 23, 2007, about 40 minutes after shopping at the mall.

In a statement circulated this afternoon, the family's attorneys said Town Center officials knew dangerous criminals were targeting the area around the mall but "turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem."

"Despite the corporation's assertion that customer security is their prime concern, their position is dramatically refuted by the written records of the Boca Raton Police Department, which prove that crime at the mall was out of control prior to her brutal murder," the statement continued.

Detectives working the case, which remains unsolved, never definitively determined that Gorenberg, of suburban Boca Raton, was kidnapped from mall property.

The Gorenbergs' lawsuit makes them the third family to sue Town Center and Simon in the wake of a series of murders and kidnappings linked to the mall.

In January, the sister of Nancy Bochicchio, a 47-year-old suburban Boca Raton woman who, along with her 7-year-old daughter, was bound and shot to death at point-blank range after a gunman kidnapped them at Town Center mall in December, filed a similar suit. A month later, a woman whose Aug. 7 kidnapping and robbery foreshadowed the double murder at Town Center filed suit in Broward County.

Gorenberg family plans suit against Town Center Mall

Reported by: WPTV staff
Email: webteam@wptv.com
Last Update: 11:51 am

The law firm of Lesser, Lesser, Landy and Smith plans to announce that they are filing a lawsuit against the owners of the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton, Simon Property Group, Inc. The attorneys acting on behalf of the family of murder victim Randi Gorenberg claim the mall had a "high level of dangerous criminal activity" and turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem according to a press release issued by the law firm.

The Gorenberg family through it's suit is hoping to prompt Simon Property group, Inc. to take tack to prevent further violence at the mall property.

Lawsuit filed against Town Center mall owners over 2007 murder

By Peter Franceschina |Sun-Sentinel.com
11:54 AM EDT, April 23, 2008

PALM BEACH - A lawsuit filed today against the owners of the Town Center at Boca Raton alleges the mall was negligent about security measures, leading to the March 2007 murder of a customer.

Randi Gorenberg, 52, who lived west of Boca Raton, was shot once in the head and dumped from the passenger side of her Mercedes SUV behind a civic center, about an hour after credit card receipts show she was shopping at the mall.

"They did not have adequate security measures to protect the public," Gary Lesser, one of the attorneys filing the suit, said at a press conference this morning.

The civil suit alleges that Gorenberg was kidnapped from the mall. It was filed on behalf of Gorenberg's husband, Stewart.

Police have never said that she was abducted. The lawyers would not specify why they believe she was abducted on mall property, but said they believe they will be able to establish that is what happened.

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Gorenberg's husband, Stewart, seeks unspecified damages.

It is the third civil suit filed in recent months against Town Center and its owners, Simon Property Group, in connection with a slaying and over security issues.

In a statement, Simon Property Group said there was no evidence that Gorenberg was kidnapped from the mall.

"Further, there is no evidence that Randi Gorenberg was abducted at the mall. We question the motivation of the attorney in making these deceptive allegations. We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit," the statement said.

A Palm Beach County law enforcement task force is investigating Gorenberg's murder in connection with the December slayings of a mother and daughter whose bodies were found in their SUV at the mall.

Detectives have not definitively linked the murders, but they are investigating similarities between the slayings and two other robberies last August.

Nancy Bochicchio, 47, and her daughter Joey Bochicchio-Hauser, 7, were abducted Dec. 12 after leaving the mall and forced to withdraw money from an ATM.

They were found just after midnight, bound with plastic handcuffs and ties, wearing blacked-out swim goggles and shot in the head. Nancy Bochicchio's wrist bindings were broken.

The first robbery involved a 30-year-old mother and her 2-year-old son who were abducted from Town Center on Aug. 7 and forced to drive to an ATM and withdraw $600.

They also were bound in a similar fashion, but the woman managed to free herself after the attacker left them.

Three days later, a 19-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint in a parking garage at Mizner Park in Boca Raton, and the robber demanded she take him to an ATM.

She gave him $200 and convinced him to let her go alone to an ATM. Instead, she contacted authorities.

Bochicchio's sister, JoAnn Bruno, and the victim in the Aug. 7 abduction both filed suit against the mall and Simon Property Group earlier this year, alleging lax security.

Peter Franceschina can be reached at pfranceschina@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6605.

Town Center mall's security lax, Gorenberg's attorneys claim

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

PALM BEACH — A pair of lawyers is seeking to hold the Boca Raton Town Center mall responsible for the murder of Randi Gorenberg, who was shot in the head after visiting the shopping center on March 23, 2007.

At a news conference held to draw attention to a lawsuit filed today in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, attorneys Gary Lesser and Joe Landy said mall officials failed to enhance security despite a handful of crimes that occurred at or near the mall in the 2 1/2 years before Gorenberg's murder.

The 52-year-old wife and mother was shot in the head and pushed from her black Mercedes Benz sport utility vehicle in a park west of Delray Beach, about 40 minutes after shopping at the mall.

Although Landy said police records show robberies, assaults and other crimes sometimes took place at Town Center, he declined to produce reports or other documentation, telling reporters through a spokeswoman that the numbers were "all in my head."

The lawsuit, which lists Dr. Stewart Gorenberg, Gorenberg's husband and a Fort Lauderdale chiropractor, as the plaintiff, claims Gorenberg was kidnapped on mall property.

"The evidence that's being developed is overwhelming to show that, and that will come out in court," Landy said through a spokeswoman. He declined to elaborate.

Detectives working the case, which remains unsolved, never definitively determined that Gorenberg was kidnapped from the mall.

A spokesman for Town Center called the attorney's claims "self-serving and ridiculous" in a written statement circulated Tuesday.

"The historical data leading up to the Gorenberg incident clearly shows that crime was not an issue at Town Center," mall spokesman Gary Bitner said.

"We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

The Gorenbergs are the third family to sue Town Center and Simon Property Group after a series of murders and kidnappings linked to the mall.

In January, the sister of Nancy Bochicchio, who, along with her 7-year-old daughter, was killed after a gunman kidnapped them at Town Center mall in December, filed a similar suit. A month later, a woman whose Aug. 7 kidnapping and robbery foreshadowed the double murder filed suit in Broward County.

Murdered woman's family sues mall

By MICHAEL LaFORGIA

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Gorenberg, 52, was shot in the head and pushed from her black 2007 Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle near Jog and Morikami Park roads on March 23, 2007, about 40 minutes after shopping at the mall.

In a statement on Tuesday, the family's attorneys said Town Center officials knew dangerous criminals were targeting the area around the mall but "turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem."

Detectives working the case, which remains unsolved, never definitively determined that Gorenberg, of suburban Boca Raton, was kidnapped from the mall.

A spokesman for Town Center called the Gorenbergs' attorney's claims "self-serving and ridiculous" in a written statement.

"The historical data leading up to the Gorenberg incident clearly shows that crime was not an issue at Town Center," mall spokesman Gary Bitner said. "We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

The Gorenbergs are the third family to sue Town Center and Simon after a series of murders and kidnappings linked to the mall.

In January, the sister of Nancy Bochicchio, who, along with her 7-year-old daughter, was slain after a gunman kidnapped them at Town Center mall in December, filed a similar suit. A month later, a woman whose Aug. 7 kidnapping and robbery foreshadowed the double murder filed suit in Broward County.

Another lawsuit brought against Boca mall

Posted: April 23, 2008 09:54 AM

The family of Randi Gorenberg announced a lawsuit against Boca Raton's Town Center Mall.

The Boca Raton mother was last seen alive in the mall's parking lot. She was caught on a security camera.

Now, two of the lawsuits have been filed in other cases.

Attorney Gary Laser says even before Gorenberg's murder, police records show a history of violent crime at that mall.

A statement issued by the mall, though, calls the lawyer's comments ridiculous. The mall says there's no evidence someone abducted Gorenberg at the mall.

She was found dead at another location after leaving that mall.

Gorenberg family files suit against Town Center Mall
Read the filing of the lawsuit: right click and save file.

Reported by: Paige Kornblue
Email: pkornblue@wptv.com
Reported by: WPTV staff
Photographer: Glenn Weston
Last Update: 8:53 pm

The Simon owned Town Center at Boca Raton is facing another major lawsuit.

The family of Randi Gorenberg filed suit Wednesday morning.

Gorenberg was last seen leaving the mall less than an hour before she was murdered.

Randi's mom, Idey Elias, is not part of this suit.

According to Florida law, she can't be - only spouses and children can participate in a suit like this.

But Idey feels the same pain. She says she supports this suit for her grandchildren's sake and for other Town Center mall shoppers.

"I think I hear that voice saying "Hi Mom" as she would say it "Hi Mom," says Elias.

Elias wishes Randi could still walk through her door.

She wishes Randi could see daughter Saree graduate from college this spring.

"I just miss her so much and with all that's going on now, it just brings it all back," says Elias.

What's going on now is this lawsuit.

A lawsuit Palm Beach attorneys Gary Lesser and Joe Landy filed Wednesday morning on behalf of Randi Gorenberg's family - husband Stewart and children Saree and Daniel - against the Town Center Mall and owner Simon Property Group.

"Because of inadequate security by Simon Property Group, because of the high level of crime that the Simon Property Group knew about, Randi Gorenberg is no longer here," says Lesser.

Attorneys referred to police records of robberies, auto burglaries, sex and and drug crimes on mall property from 2005 to 2007.

On March 23, 2007, Gorenberg was last seen on surveillance video leaving Town Center.

Less than an hour later she was shot and killed and left behind the Delray Beach Civic Center.

"It was just a complete negligent thing on their part that they don't have more cameras in that mall and maybe we'd know what happened there. We'd have seen it and then we'd know who this person is," says Elias.

A spokesman for the mall says Town Center has about one thousand cameras ... They won't say how many outside and less than 100 were added in the last year.

The Gorenberg's suit is similar to two others filed against Town Center this year.

Simon Property Group representatives would not comment on camera Wednesday, but said the following in a written statement Tuesday:
"Comments made today by the plaintiff's attorney are self-serving and ridiculous. The historical data leading up to the Gorenberg incident clearly shows that crime was not an issue at Town Center. Further, there is no evidence that Randi Gorenberg was abducted at the mall. We question the motivation of the attorney in making these deceptive allegations. We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

One year and one month ago Wednesday, Randi Gorenberg of Delray Beach was murdered.

She was last seen on surveillance video leaving the Town Center at Boca Raton.

Attorneys representing her family announced Wednesday that they are suing the mall.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning. It is the third lawsuit against the Town Center mall in the last three months.

Nancy and Joey Bochiccio's family filed one in January. The unnamed victim from the August abduction outside the mall filed a similar suit in February.

From their Palm Beach office, attorneys Gary Lesser and Joe Landy explained the lawsuit filed Wednesday morning on behalf of the Gorenberg family.

Gorenberg family members were not present. We're told it was too painful for them to be there.

The attorneys say there was a pattern of ongoing serious criminal activity on the mall premises prior to Randi's murder.

They say proof that Randi was kidnapped from the mall will come out in court and that evidence being developed is overwhelming.

The last video of Randi alive was captured as she left the Town Center.

About 40 minutes later, she was shot and thrown out of her SUV in a park behind the Delray Beach Civic Center.

Gorenberg family attorneys claim written records prove that crime at the mall was out of control prior to Gorenberg's murder and that the mall turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem of dangerous criminal activity.

"The police records we've obtained show that in a little over two years leading up to this brutal murder, there was 15 robberies including four armed robberies and eight strong armed robberies, three aggravated assaults, four assaults, 30 batteries, three sex crimes, 51 drug crimes, and 150 vehicles which were entered into stolen or vandalized, including 36 grand thefts. We strongly believe that security there was ridiculous and the callous response by Simon Property Group Corporations to this heinous murder is equally ridiculous," says Landy.

Simon Property Group representatives would not comment on camera Wednesday, but said the following in a written statement Tuesday:

"Comments made today by the plaintiff's attorney are self-serving and ridiculous. The historical data leading up to the Gorenberg incident clearly shows that crime was not an issue at Town Center. Further, there is no evidence that Randi Gorenberg was abducted at the mall. We question the motivation of the attorney in making these deceptive allegations. We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

Click on the video player to the right to watch the video.

Personal injury lawyers who represent members of the Gorenberg family held a morning news conference Wednesday in Palm Beach.

Attorneys Gary Lesser and Joseph Landy announced the filing of legal action against the Town Center at Boca Raton and its corporate owner Simon Property Group, Inc.

Attorneys from Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC say the lawsuit is a result of Randi Ann Gorenberg's kidnapping from Simon's Boca Raton property and subsequent murder on March 23, 2007.

The suit was filed Wednesday morning.

The last video of Randi Gorenberg alive was captured on March 23, 2007, as she left the Town Center.

About 40 minutes later, she was shot and thrown out of her Mercedes SUV at the Governor Lawton Chiles Memorial Park West in Delray Beach.

Five minutes after that, her SUV was taped driving through the nearby Home Depot parking lot, then dumped.

Landy says they believe security at the Town Center at Boca Raton was ridiculous and the callous response by the Simon Property Group to this heinous murder is equally ridiculous.

The firm claims it has written records which prove that crime at the mall was out of control prior to Gorenberg's murder and that the mall turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem of dangerous criminal activity.

Lesser says Simon Property Group knew about many high incidents of crime prior to Gorenberg's murder and did not take adequate security measures.

Landy says police records showed there were 15 robberies including four armed robberies and eight strong robberies, aggravated assault reports, and many auto burglaries prior to Gorenberg's murder.

The Simon Property Group released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

Gorenberg was last seen on surveillance video leaving the mall before she was found shot at a park.

This is the third lawsuit against the Town Center Mall at Boca Raton and its owner, Simon Property Group, in the last three months.

Nancy and Joey Bochiccio's family filed suit in January.

Then, the unnamed victim from the August abduction outside the mall did so in February.

All three lawsuits revolve around criminal incidents that have some sort of tie to the mall.

The last video of Randi Gorenberg alive was captured on March 23, 2007, as she left the Town Center.

About 40 minutes later, she was shot and thrown out of her Mercedes SUV at the Governor Lawton Chiles Memorial Park West in Delray Beach.

Five minutes after that, her SUV was taped driving through the nearby Home Depot parking lot, then dumped.

Personal injury lawyers out of Palm Beach, informed us about the Gorenberg family's lawsuit Tuesday and plan to officially announce its filing Wednesday.

The firm says the suit is a result of Randi's kidnapping from the property and subsequent murder.

The firm claims it has written records which prove that crime at the mall was out of control prior to Randi's murder and that the mall turned a blind eye to the ongoing problem of dangerous criminal activity.

"The majority of crime we have at the mall is shoplifting," says Boca Raton Police Department spokesperson Officer Sandra Boonenberg.

When asked what kind of criminal activity took place at or outside the Town Center at Boca Raton prior to the Gorenberg incident in 2007, Boonenberg mentioned property crime, retail theft, and auto burglaries.

The Simon Property Group released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

Many are asking 'why now?' Why was the lawsuit filed thirteen months after the murder?

An attorney for Gorenberg's husband and children on separate matters tells NewsChannel 5 they were dealing with the loss and tragedy for much of the year, but decided to move forward following the Bochiccio incident in December.

Randi Gorenberg's husband sues Town Center at Boca Raton
No evidence she was abducted at center, police say

By Peter Franceschina and Leon Fooksman |South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 24, 2008

Randi Gorenberg left a Boca Raton mall at 1:16 p.m. on March 23, 2007. A surveillance camera captured her leaving near Neiman Marcus and talking on a cell phone.

Thirty-eight minutes later, a witness saw her body being dumped behind a civic center west of Delray Beach. She had been shot in the head.

What happened during that time is central to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by her husband, Stewart Gorenberg, against Town Center at Boca Raton and its owner, Simon Property Group. The civil suit alleges Gorenberg, 52, was kidnapped from the mall. Palm Beach County sheriff's investigators say they have no evidence of that.

More than a year later, a law enforcement task force is still investigating Gorenberg's slaying. The detectives also are investigating whether it is connected to the Dec. 12 slayings of a single mother and her 7-year-old daughter at the mall, as well as two August robberies, one at the mall, the other at Mizner Park.

Stewart Gorenberg alleges in the suit that while his wife was at the mall she was "violently abducted, subsequently shot and killed."

Palm Beach attorneysGary Lesser and Joseph Landy announced the suit during a news conference. They would not say what evidence they have that Gorenberg was abducted at the mall, but they said they would be able to "establish" that was the case.

Sheriff's investigators have never said the slayings and robberies are definitively linked, but they say there are similarities between the cases. They also don't know when point Gorenberg's path crossed that of her killer.

"We have no overwhelming evidence that she was abducted from the mall," sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said. "We want to keep an open mind and we're not ruling anything out. But we don't have evidence of an abduction."

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges security at the mall was lax. It is the third high-profile suit filed against the mall over security issues since Nancy Bochicchio, 47, and her daughter Joey Bochicchio-Hauser were found bound and shot to death in their SUV at the mall. Bochicchio's sister filed suit against the mall, as did the Aug. 7 victim, who has not been publicly identified.

Lesser and Landy said there were numerous crimes at the mall in the two years leading up to Gorenberg's murder, an allegation Simon Property Group disputed in a statement.

"The historical data leading up to the Gorenberg incident clearly shows that crime was not an issue at Town Center. Further, there is no evidence that Randi Gorenberg was abducted at the mall," the statement said. "We have total confidence in the extensive security program at Town Center and plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

Last month, Stewart Gorenberg filed a court action to administer his wife's estate. Probate documents say the value of Randi Gorenberg's estate will depend on the outcome of the wrongful death suit against the mall. She and her husband, a Fort Lauderdale chiropractor, lived in a $2.2 million home in the Boniello Acres community west of Boca Raton.

Stewart Gorenberg did not attend the news conference and declined to comment when contacted by phone.

Randi Gorenberg's brother, Jerry Malitz, said sheriff's investigators update him regularly on their progress.

"Of course, I have hope that it is going to be solved, and I have a great desire for it to be solved," Malitz said. "There is approximately a 25- to 30-minute time period no one can account for. Whether the abduction took place at the mall or not, I can't say.

"I still think that somebody saw something, I still think that somebody knows something, and I think all the information hasn't come to light yet."

Peter Franceschina can be reached at pfranceschina@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6605.
Online
Read the text of the civil lawsuit and watch a video report on the filing at Sun-Sentinel.com/gorenberg