Victim's 45-Year-Old Niece Charged In Baffling 2009 Stabbing Murder
VENTURA KEYS (CBS) — Wendy Di Rodio was found stabbed to death June 3, 2009 -- a few weeks after Brock and Davina Husted were found murdered in their Faria Beach home which was mere blocks away from the Di Rodio crime.
Investigators thought, initially, the cases might be linked. They soon discounted that possibility and decided this particular murder was neither a botched robbery or a random act of violence.
Now the mystery of who killed Di Rodio, police say, has been answered.
Di Rodio's 45-year-old niece -- identified as Gina Drake -- was arrested Friday at her work, according to police sources.
Drake was married to Aaron Drake, a Ventura police department officer at the time of the murder. According to the Ventura County Star, Aaron Drake filed for divorce the same month as the Di Rodio murder. The divorce is now finalized.
Drake is being held on $1 million bail at the Ventura County Pretrial Detention Facility.
Police told Jay Jackson, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, that the Di Rodios were a close family. They did not offer a motive for the crime or say how they linked Drake to the murder.
Di Rodio -- an author and licensed therapist -- had moved into her parent's home to help care for her ailing father. She was stabbed multiple times.
Her mother reportedly found the body just two days after Di Rodio celebrated her 61st birthday.
