Fla. man stands trial in 1994 murder of ex-wife
MIAMI, Fla. - Opening statements began Monday in the trial of a Florida man accused of killing his wife nearly 20 years ago amid a bitter custody dispute, reports CBS Miami.
Clifford Friend, 58, is charged in the 1994 murder of his 35-year-old wife, Lynne. Prosecutors say he lured her to his home with the promise of a child support check, strangled the woman and dumped her body in the ocean near Northeast Miami-Dade.
Lynne Friend's remains have never been found, however, and a defense attorney reportedly told the jury Monday that the case "reeks of reasonable doubt." The attorney said the state's key witness, a friend who allegedly helped Friend dispose of his ex-wife's body, told prosecutors "what they wanted to hear" in exchange for immunity, reports the station.
Clifford Friend, of Lighthouse Point, has long been a suspect in his ex-wife's disappearance, though he was not arrested until March of 2012, reports the Miami Herald. According to the paper, his ex-wife had won custody of their five-year-old son just days before she vanished.
Prosecutor Marie Mato told jurors that Friend was enraged over the custody dispute.
"He was screaming at his lawyer, 'No one's going to take my son!" Mato said, according to CBS Miami.
Mato reportedly said Friend strangled his wife "with his bare hands," wrapped the body in heavy chains and called a friend, Alan Gold, to help him dump the body in the ocean.
The two were spotted by U.S. Customs officers on Friend's 30-foot Chapparal boat dumping something overboard, reports the Herald. The boat lead the agents on a one-mile chase, and Friend and Gold both refused to talk to investigators, reports the paper.
Agents reported finding rope and two cement blocks on the boat, reports the paper, but Lynne Friend's body was never found despite a multi-agency search.
Gold finally spoke to prosecutors last year, telling them Friend asked him to help dispose of the body and admitted to strangling the woman, reports the paper. Gold wasn't charged, and is expected to be the state's star witness.
If convicted, Friend could be sentenced to life in prison.