Edgewater, FL - The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible missing private investigator after a woman said his ‘disappearance’ was suspicious.
On June 3, a VCSO deputy responded to Marsha Carroll's workplace after she said her friend of 1 ½ years, Stephen Paoletti, had not contacted her in four days despite their history of having daily contact. Paoletti, 44, is a former Central Florida police officer and is now a private investigator.
Carroll expressed that while she does not believe he is a danger to himself or others, she is worried that he may have been harmed.
Carroll contacted his phone several times but was sent straight to voicemail every time. Carroll's emails to Paoletti were not answered either. Carroll contacted Paoletti’s parents who say they have not heard from him, which is not out of the ordinary as his father says they speak only once or twice a week.
Carroll suspects that he may be missing after an incident that occurred with his landlord. The incident is related to Paoletti’s living situation.
A VCSO deputy went to Paoletti’s last known residence and found his car. The deputy spoke with the landlord about the situation. She told the deputy that she hasn't spoken to Paoletti since the incident. The landlord told the deputy that the last time she saw Paoletti was on the night of June 2 as he was driving off in a pickup truck with another person she did not recognize. She says the hood of Paoletti’s car was up and jumper cables and a jumper box were charging close by.
The deputy knocked on Paoletti's camper door, but there was no answer. The deputy was not able to look inside the camper as the blinds were drawn but he was able to look into the window of Paoletti's car and saw that the backseat was down, giving him a view of the trunk. There were no suspicious odors in or around the car or camper.
A few days prior, Carroll sent a different deputy to his residence to look for Paoletti. That deputy spoke with the landlord as well, telling her to contact him if Paoletti was seen. The landlord never did contact VCSO, even though she claims she saw Paoletti on June 2, the day after she was told to call.
Deputies say Paoletti has never been arrested and he hasn't had any recent court filings. They called every number Paoletti was believed to have, but none of the calls were answered. Paoletti’s most recent work was as a security detail at the Country 500 music festival, verified by a Daytona International Speedway employee parking sticker on his car and by Carroll.
At this point, the VCSO did not have enough evidence or reason to officially file Paoletti as a missing person but the office did notify other agencies to be on the lookout for him.
On June 4, Carroll and Paoletti’s parents contacted the VCSO again expressing their concerns that Paoletti had still not been heard from. Hospitals in the area were contacted by the VCSO to make sure Paoletti was not a patient. After reaching the conclusion that the circumstances of Paoletti’s 'disappearance' were unusual, he was officially listed as a missing person and a notice was issued for law enforcement to be on the lookout.
Paoletti's family is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his location. His family has also hired a private investigator who believes foul play is involved.
(Flyer courtesy of Daytona Private Investigator Rick Raymond)
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
