DNA may be the key to solving murder of Broward snowbirds

More than three years after a Canadian couple were found dead in their Hallandale Beach townhome, detectives are hoping new information produced by DNA collected at the scene will help crack the case.

Hallandale Beach Police Chief Dwayne Flournoy said Virginia-based Parabon-Nanolabs used its Snapshot DNA Phenotyping Service to create a general profile of one of the killers. On Thursday, the police department released a photo generated based on the profile that is said to be the likeness of one of the perpetrators.

“This just gives us another investigative tool to find out who did this,” Flournoy said. “We haven’t had a good lead in over a year.”

On Jan. 10, 2013, David Pichosky, 71, and Rochelle Wise, 66, were found dead inside their townhome at The Venetian Park Apartments in the 900 block of Northeast 25th Avenue. A concerned neighbor found their bodies.

Detectives later said the couple were asphyxiated.

Little was initially released about a case that rocked the community. About a year after the snowbirds’ deaths, the department released new information to help spur leads, including a sketch of a woman seen on video surveillance and a shoe print. At the time, detectives say they believed they were looking for two women.

Detectives also said the only thing believed to be missing from the home was Wise’s diamond ring, which has a special clasp that allowed her to put it on without having to slide it over her knuckles.

Based on the the profile released Thursday, one of the perpetrators is from Southeast Europe (59.5 percent confidence); has light olive or fair skin (82.9 percent confidence; has brown or hazel eyes (93.8 percent confidence); has brown or black hair (98.7 percent confidence) and has zero or few freckles (87.7 percent confidence).

Steven Armentrout, the CEO of Parabon-Nanolabs, said the technology has been used for about a year and has led to several arrests. Armentrout said having a profile of a potential suspect can help law enforcement officers eliminate potential suspects.

“In Hallandale’s case they are hoping this will help generate new leads,” he said.

On Thursday, Flournoy said detectives are confident.

Flournoy said this new information may be the thing that “reenergizes” the case.

“We will solve this case,” he said.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "DNA may be the key to solving murder of Broward snowbirds."