St. Maarten Private Eye

Hi there Barbara,
I wonder about that missing woman too, but I also wonder if the police are doing their job not only looking for her but checking out the husbands story.
What kind of man allows his wife to walk to the WESTIN casino at night while he knows she is drunk.
Remember it is the husband who said she was drunk not the police. Are they also checking if the woman had a life insurance policy? and who is the benefactor? I am very doubtful this woman can just go missing on SXM without anyone at the casino seeing her leave, someone had to see her there that night, a security guard had to see her leave the premises, are there are cameras at that prison looking hotel?
My gut feeling is that Mr.Husband story is too strange. And I hope that this thing does not blow into a Natalee Holloway story where innocent persons might be fingered. What I want to know is where is this vacation villa located where she was staying? everyone knows that Dawn beach road is very dark at night and he must have been a damn fool too allow his wife to walk alone to the WESTIN casino alone at night.

I agree with you... this sounds too fishy. Read the second article in the OC register and he then tells detectives that he went after she left for a drive down the road to make sure that she made it to the casino.... I thought he gave her money then went to sleep, or did we forget we had to put mom to bed {alibi}...just too strange. As an ex cop from the states, I just returned from SXM. I seen no signs posted or PSA over the radio of the missing person, nor was it reported to one of the largest schools on the island as students had no idea what I was talking about, and they students are concerned as most are US citizens. SXM is a beautiful island and has a lot of character, I enjoy the people, places, and food. However I believe the law enoforcement needs to step it up a bit, consumer awareness about this case is well known here in Southern California as well as CNN, however it appears that nothing is being done... law enforcement on the island must understand that this haphazard action hurts the local economy thus affecting the lives of those who live on the island. Remember the gay bashing in 2004....well gays and lesbians account for a huge portion of tourism dollars and most of them or at least those I know have money, and after that incident SXM is not their place of choice anymore. The government officials need to step in and give the ole' shock and awe to law enforcement on the island. Tourism brings a lot of money to the island and it can't afford to have another one of these "oh lets brush this one aside and people will forget" hmmmm well some people dont forget and most consumers use the internet, so when you google st maarten you read the good as well as the bad.

my 2 cents

There's a planned search this weekend again for the Missing visitor from OC. The group will start from 6am in Philipsburg and they will canvas the island looking for this lady.
The stories given by her spouse are rather conflicting. There are several news sources reporting different stories given by her husband. I live in the dawn beach area and it's very strange that a woman after having several drinks would walk down that dark, pot hole laden road, which has no lights to the Western Casino. There's always a security guard at the Westin entrance in the evening. Reports are circulating that she was at OysterBAy, to many conflicting stories. The fact is that she is missing and we have to come to the bottom of it.

Why didn't her husband take out a full page ad in the local newspapers about her being missing. It smells very fishy. I really hope some positive news comes out very quickly. This type of publicity is bad, real bad.

I would just like to encourage everyone, who is willing and able, to join the search this Sunday.
According to Today newspaper, the search leaves from the Sundial School at 6 AM.
We should all show our concern as a community by joining this search.
The Tourist Bureau is apparently joining in, as they should.
The Service Clubs and other organizations should get their people out too, schools could get students out ,etc.,etc.
Let's show we care!

.....that there is so little publicity. You ask reasonable questions.
pheonix mentions another death..a man found dead..
no mention of it in the media.
I don't know what is going on and that is the problem. None of us know what is going on. And when you don't know what is going on, what happens? rumors! rumors all over the place!
And with rumors comes criticisms and misunderstandings.
I hope this does not become case like Holloway either but if we do not have our media reporting and investigating and trying to keep us informed, then it is going
to get out of hand.
For instance, it was posted on TTOL that the FBI has offered to help..
http://www.ocregister.com/news/cordes-casino-police-1964173-leta-maarten

Now I am not saying this is a good idea..it probably isn't, but isn't this information that the local public should be aware of?
I also heard that her friends were passing out fliers. Good!
Why hasn't this been reported? Isn't this information that we should be aware of?
I was left with the impression that nothing like this is being done by her friends and family which concerned me......apparently they are doing things, but again.....no reporting of it..
When we don't know the facts, then facts are surmised and made up and that is dangerous.

I would love to have some responses here from some of our reporters. I would love to have an explanation why we are not having much publicity at all on this missing woman.
Believe me, the lack of reporting is not sitting well with those off island especially when they are getting what little facts are available from American media sources.
It makes people feel like there is a cover up and that is a lot of what caused so much trouble in the Aruba case..

Philipsburg:--- Despite the release from the Westin Resort which stated that there is no evidence to prove that American Leta Lynn Cordes visited the Casino on January 11 2008, police on St. Maarten is still treating the case as missing person. Police Spokesman Johan Janchi Leonard said that the police have canvassed the area with the K-9 dogs in search of the 49 year old woman and to date there is no evidence to prove that a crime has been committed. “Right now the police are questioning everybody all over again to see if they can piece together what really happened to the woman.” Leonard said. Her husband Frank Cordes reported she was missing on January 12 claiming that his wife walked from their vacation home in Upper Princess Quarter to the Westin Resort, where she is a frequent gambler. On the night in question the man said he and his wife along with his 62-year old mother was eating and drinking in Grand Case and that she was drunk when she went to the casino.

Asked if Frank Cordes is a suspect in the disappearance of his wife Leonard said that police have no evidence that a crime has been committed and thus police cannot say anyone is a suspect. He stressed unless there is proof that a crime has been committed then the case will be handled as that of a missing person.

St. Martin News Network: resource

20 stories sounds far fetched. I mean come on.... the Cliff is what 9 stories? and you really believe that a 20 story building on SXM is possible? what with GEBE light breakdown, water shortage, elevator malfunctioning, and normal day to day third world experiences?
Add in to that, the recent earthquake and we are in the hurricane zone.
But if any high rise comes in that area, the blame this time goes to Commissioner Theo Heyliger, Commissioner of Public Works... you know... those great people that cannot handle building permits, planning permits, they do a lousy job at monitering the building sector and lo and behold the same department and the same Commissioner is over our environment as well.
Instead of trying to make changes in how Public Worls function, all the DP did is pass the Public Works and Environment portfolio from Roy to Theo.
Not a thing is different and the lack of policies continue, the same departments are understaffed.
This island building sector resembles the tower of Babel.

I believe the Cliff is more than 9 stories, closer to 14 or 15 I think. Rainbow is 9 stories. - Flipper