Unsolved Florida: 24 Years since the murder of Jean Ault
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On March 23, 2002, the peaceful waters of Coquina Key Park became a crime scene.
The body of Jean Ault, a retired state employee and beloved aunt, was discovered among the mangroves.
She had been bound and beaten.
What we know:
Ault was an active woman who loved gardening, tennis, and volunteering at national parks.
She was last seen alive by a neighbor just before noon on a Thursday, returning a book and preparing for a camping trip to Manatee County.
Pictured: Jean Ault.
When she failed to show up at the campsite, friends reported her missing.
Police later recovered her camper van at an apartment complex on 54th Avenue South.
The only item missing from her belongings was a Huffy-model bicycle.
The backstory:
The case was the first homicide assignment for Mike Kovacsev, who is now the Assistant Police Chief for the St. Petersburg Police Department.
At the time, the brutality of the crime against a "true victim" stunned the Lakewood Estates community.
"I would almost think the person to be dang near an animal to do something like this," Jack Stubendick, her neighbor at the time, said.
Pictured: Jean Ault's van.
Detectives established a narrow timeline for the murder, believing Ault was killed shortly after noon.
One prevailing theory is that she startled a "would-be burglar" in her garage while loading her van.
The killer then took her, and her vehicle, to the locations where they were eventually found. Because the crime scene, the body, and the abandoned van all sit within a small radius in South St. Pete, investigators believe the killer likely had strong ties to that specific area.
Dig deeper:
While robbery was a suspected motive, Jean’s nephew, Peter Forcinito, recalls a "red flag" from the year prior to her death.
He says Jean, a brave woman who served on the neighborhood crime watch, had mentioned being harassed by certain neighbors to the point of considering a move.
While investigators looked into those leads, they ultimately hit a dead end.
"Her life was much more exciting and beautiful than the way she died. We certainly can't give up," Forcinito said. "There's still hope out there."
What's next:
In the last year, Detective Wallace Pavelsky authorized new DNA testing on evidence from the case.
"Everybody wanted justice for Ms. Ault, and unfortunately, so far we haven't been able to do that. It's a true mystery," Kovacsev said.
While those tests have yet to yield a definitive match, the department remains hopeful that advancing technology will eventually provide the breakthrough they need.
Jean's daughter and sister have since passed away without seeing an arrest.
What you can do:
Peter Forcinito is now offering $10,000 for any information that leads to closure.
Pictured: Jean Ault.
Detectives are asking the public to think back to March 2002.
If you remember seeing Jean’s camper van near 54th Avenue South or have information regarding a missing Huffy bicycle from that era, you are urged to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department. Tips can be made anonymously.
The Source: FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis gathered information for this story with updates from the St. Petersburg Police Department as well as the victim's family member.