NMB Police Name Person Of Interest In Woman's 2007 Disappearance
MIAMI (CBS4) – North Miami Beach police detectives have named a person of interest in the disappearance of a 20 year old Miami woman exclusively to CBS4 News because their tips have reached a dead end.
Detective say they have been interested in Clifton Clayton Bogges for years, but are just now calling him a person of interest.
"He's not cooperated in any way with us, we'd love to talk to him," said North Miami Beach police Detective Michael Stein. "We think that he may have information to help us find Heather."
Heather Riggio, 20, was last seen walking down Southwest 197th Avenue near 200th Street in Southwest Miami-Dade around May 19, 2007. No one has heard from her since.
In the days before Riggio disappeared, she was seen at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale and also in a white SUV with her boyfriend, a man police described as an older married man from Homestead.
Police are now saying Bogges was that man.
"Through the investigation we have reason to believe that he knew Heather, that he picked Heather up from her grandmother's house in North Miami Beach and drove her to Homestead," Stein told CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
"He's a real concern for us, he's been a real concern for us from the beginning of the investigation," said North Miami Beach police Sgt. Richard Rand.
Police point out that Bogges has a record.
"He was arrested for a crime which he committed in Homestead which involved a prostitute. She was shot in the head. There was a trial and some proceedings afterwards which he did serve some time in prison for," said Rand.
In the days following Riggio's disappearance, several tips were called into police directing them toward a remote area of The Everglades. After an exhaustive search, no clues were found.
When CBS4 told Riggio's grandmother that Bogges had been named by police as a 'person of interest' she was thrilled.
"I think it's great. We have known all along about him. His name always came up when we talked about Heather's disappearance," said Sybil Chierico. "I would like to get the person who did this off the street. If he did this to Heather, he could do this to someone else. I just want someone to come forward and help us so this can be resolved."
"I think for the sake of the family of Heather Riggio it would be great if we could resolve this," said Rand.
D'Oench caught up with Bogges at a business that he used to own in Southwest Miami-Dade. But he did not want to say anything. D'Oench was told that Bogges has been told by his attorney not to comment about this case.
