CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina working to solve the 1988 cold case murder of Robert Hecht.
Investigators say 58-year-old Hecht, a retired U.S. Army officer originally from New York, was seen at a local Punta Gorda bar with a man who identified himself as “Ray”.
According to witnesses, "Ray" claimed to be from Tennesee or Kentucky, and spoke with a southern accent.
On Saturday, November 26, 1988, Robert Hecht failed to respond to his weekly telephone call from his sister who lived out-of-state.
This ultimately led to the discovery of Hecht’s body in his Punta Gorda residence.
Detectives later learned that Hecht's brand new 1989 Lincoln Town Car was found in Lenoir, North Carolina, and appeared to have been parked there for several days.
A witness told detectives that a man matching Ray's description was seen exiting the Town Car and entering a nearby store. A white female with blonde hair was seen in the passenger seat of the car.
In 2022, Detectives with CCSO's Cold Case Homicide Unit identified “Ray” as Kenneth Ray Miller, who died in 2007.
Further investigation found a direct connection between Miller, the victim’s residence and the victim’s stolen car.
Cold Case Detectives are actively looking to determine why the victim’s car was driven to and left in Lenoir.
They are also attempting to identify and speak with the female who was with Miller in the victim's car.
Investigators say she may also have ties to the Kingsport, TN area. They have no reason to believe she was involved in Hecht's murder.
CCSO is seeking information from the public regarding Miller and the identification of the female seen with him in Lenoir.
For investigation purposes, CCSO is not releasing a cause of death at this time.
