FL TRACEY RIEKER: Missing from Venice, FL - 30 Sept 2020 - Age 44 *Found Deceased*

Venice Police searching for missing woman

The Venice Police Department needs your help finding 44-year-old Tracey Lynn Rieker.

www.fox4now.com

Venice Police searching for missing woman​

The Venice Police Department needs your help finding 44-year-old Tracey Lynn Rieker.

Investigators say Rieker left her home on September 30th.

She drives a green Nissan Xterra with Florida tag PO8116 and has recently been to local beaches to talk to people about God.

They say she also visited the Lido Beach and Bradenton Beach on September 28th and is known to visit the North Port area.

Mother of four vanishes in Venice, husband desperate for answers

VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) – Christian Rieker has been in a panic since last Wednesday when he woke up and his wife, Tracey, was missing from their Venice home. It was 6 a.m. and Tracey had left her…

www.wfla.com

Mother of four vanishes in Venice, husband desperate for answers​

Christian Rieker has been in a panic since last Wednesday when he woke up and his wife, Tracey, was missing from their Venice home.

It was 6 a.m. and Tracey had left her wallet and cell phone at home, but her car was gone. There was no note, and no one has seen her since.

Christian made a public plea to 8 On Your Side as he continues to search for her.

“Tracey, honey, we need you, we love you. You’re so missed. Wherever you are, I pray you’re safe, wherever you are, we just want you back,” Rieker said.

The family of Tracey is desperate for answers, hoping someone has seen her or talked to her in the days since her disappearance.

Christian has been searching non-stop for his wife, worried sick.

“We are concerned about what mindset she’s in. She didn’t get a whole lot of sleep a couple of days prior to that. She wasn’t eating a whole lot,” Rieker told 8 On Your Side.

The question remains, what happened to this wife and mother-of-four?



MEDIA - TRACEY RIEKER: Missing from Venice, FL since 30 Sept 2020 - Age 44

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Husband says missing mother-of-4 went to Bradenton Beach to proselytize day before disappearance

Venice police are asking for the public’s help finding Tracey Lynn Rieker, 44, who left her home Wednesday, September 30, and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

www.fox13news.com

Husband says missing mother-of-4 went to Bradenton Beach to proselytize day before disappearance​

Venice police are asking for the public’s help finding Tracey Lynn Rieker, 44, who left her home Wednesday, September 30, and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

"This is completely opposite of who Tracey is. It’s alarming," said Tracey's husband, Christian Rieker. "She was having trouble sleeping and wasn’t eating a whole lot."

Christian said he last saw his wife Sept. 30 around 3 a.m. at their home in Venice. He said when he woke up that morning, her cell phone and wallet were left behind. Tracey and her car were gone.

Christian said his wife had been focused on religion and talking to others about God, especially amid the pandemic.

"She was so concerned about COVID [that] she wouldn’t go anywhere, but the importance of her message has kind of freed her of that fear, I think," he said.

Christian said the day before Tracey left, she was spreading her message at Bradenton Beach.

"I really think she was just going to talk about God. I don’t know if she meant it to be an extended leave," he said.

"I'm absolutely worried that someone would take advantage of her kindness and her free spirit and she’s just out there just trying to help people and deliver a message she thinks is more important than anything else," said Christian.

Groups of Tracey's friends and strangers are searching beaches, parks, and areas Tracey was known to visit. Christian said he just wants to find Tracey and bring her home.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Venice police set up dedicated line for tips about missing mother-of-4

In his full, unedited interview, Christian Rieker, the husband of Tracey Rieker who went missing a week ago, says his wife was behaving differently in the days before her disappearance.

www.fox13news.com

Venice police set up dedicated line for tips about missing mother-of-4​

A dedicated tip line has been set up for anyone who has information about the disappearance of a Venice mother-of-4.

In an interview Tuesday, October 6, Christian said his wife's behavior had changed before her disappearance.

"She was having trouble sleeping and wasn't eating a whole lot. [She was] really focused on her religious outreach, and so when we woke up the car was gone and she was gone, her car and her purse were still at home... so we just called the authorities," Christian said. "I actually called her phone thinking that she'd have it and then noticed it was ringing in the house."


A representative for the family, Jennifer Irvine said in a media release, in addition to trouble sleeping, Tracey had been "fasting for religious purposes."

A flier created by the family says before Tracey disappeared, "she had not eaten or slept for a few days," and "she may be disheveled or delirious."

From the media release:

"It is important to note that this year, Tracey has experienced changes in her mental and emotional state. She has previously received professional assistance to address these but may be currently in need of emergent medical assistance from a licensed professional.

"Prior to Tracey‘s disappearance she was having trouble sleeping and was engaging in fasting for religious purposes. She was cleaning her townhome, located in a active construction sub-division, between the hours of 3am-6am September 30th and decided to remove trash by dropping them in a community dumpster. It is believed at this point she went missing."


Irvine's statement said there are two entrances to the sub-division, however, they were not able to uncover any video footage of the Nissan Xterra entering or leaving.

Irvine also said Venice police have used helicopters and other resources to search for Tracey near preserves, beaches, and other outdoor areas. Private donations have also helped the family employ drone operators and a private investigator to help find Tracey.

Raw interview: Missing woman's husband describes days before disappearance

Christian Rieker, the husband of Tracey Rieker, says his wife recently became very religious and may have been behaving differently in the days leading up to her disappearance.

www.fox13news.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Hmm, another very uniquely colored vehicle. It is difficult to imagine where she would be with apparently no money or phone and nothing good comes to mind. I am assuming anyhow that she has no money as it was said her wallet was at home. She would need gas at some point if traveling...

So I am a bit confused in that it says he woke to her missing at 6 but then it was also said she was disposing of things between 3 and 6 at a community dumpster and this is when she was believed to go missing. He saw her last at 3... I wonder where the dumpster thing comes from, a video? No video of the car leaving the subdivision, that seems odd.

This man acts in every way that Barry Morphew did not and does not. While it is impossible to be sure, he comes across as concerned and he keeps the focus on her.

I pray they find her safe.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New details continue to emerge in the search for a missing Venice woman

Tracey Rieker has been missing since last Wednesday.

www.mysuncoast.com

New details continue to emerge in the search for a missing Venice woman​

44-year-old Tracey Rieker has been missing since last Wednesday morning. Her husband Christian says that she left her Toscana Isles home sometime between 3am and 6am and hasn’t been seen since.


Family members say they have now hired a private investigator to help with the search. They tell ABC7, she would visit the beach frequently as well as church. They say that Rieker had been very stressed out lately, not eating and not getting much sleep.

“It’s been extremely difficult trying to answer some of the questions of the older children that know that she’s missing, trying to make sense of anything,” said Camille Rieker, Tracey’s sister-in-law. “There’s literally been no answers and no solid leads, it’s been frustrating.”

“We’ve had a huge outpouring from the community, we’ve had people offer up search dogs and drones, so please keep that coming," said Rieker. "There are a lot of lakes around the community, so I don’t know if there are any divers out there.”

Police are following all leads. If you have any more information on Tracey’s whereabouts, you’re being asked to contact the authorities immediately.

 

[tlorik]

This is so not good. These are symptoms of either substance abuse or psychosis. There's no telling what may have happened to her in this mental state - did she wander too far afield and now she can't find her way back due to some kind of mental lapse, did someone feel that she was vulnerable enough to take her, did she join a group of some kind, did she harm herself? I can completely understand her husband's panic in trying to find her because it sounds like she is in a vulnerable state that could get worse. Worried.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Venice police going door to door to see if neighbors captured anything on video in the disappearance of Tracey Rieker

Search continues for Tracey Rieker.

www.mysuncoast.com

Venice police going door to door to see if neighbors captured anything on video in the disappearance of Tracey Rieker​

Police are hoping a neighbor’s home surveillance camera captured something in Toscana Isles. They have been going door to door. Family members say 44-year-old Tracey Rieker had disappeared last Wednesday sometime between 2am and 6am after leaving her home.

“Any avenue that we can get a new picture of Tracey in front of the community or someone could come forward with a different tactic we can use, it’s all been very helpful,” said Camille Rieker, Tracey’s sister-in-law.

Family members say the camera at the main entrance to the development didn’t pick up anything. They also want police to take a closer look at the construction entrance.

“Once night falls people don’t feel as safe as they should and they try to keep an eye out on comings and goings,” said Rieker.

Search dogs will be on property on Saturday trying to find the mother of four. An alert notification was also sent out to thousands of residents via email and text.

“The neighbors have been great just keep their eyes open, continue to be vigilant when you’re out and about and if you do have any footage please hand it over to the police,” said Rieker.

Tracey Rieker was driving a green Nissan Xterra. You are being asked to call police if you have any more information.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I don't understand how her vehicle could leave the premises and not be seen by surveillance cameras. Unless her vehicle did not leave at the time they are being told it left. But I would assume (hope) that they are checking more than just those specific hours.

 

[Guess Who]

I don't understand how her vehicle could leave the premises and not be seen by surveillance cameras. Unless her vehicle did not leave at the time they are being told it left. But I would assume (hope) that they are checking more than just those specific hours.

I guess that would all depend on exactly where these cameras are vs how she might have exited the area. Are there many in her neighborhood or just a few? etc

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I guess that would all depend on exactly where these cameras are vs how she might have exited the area. Are there many in her neighborhood or just a few? etc

Only two entrances to her subdivision. Sounds like it’s the “main entrance” and a “construction entrance”.

Irvine's statement said there are two entrances to the sub-division, however, they were not able to uncover any video footage of the Nissan Xterra entering or leaving.

Family members say the camera at the main entrance to the development didn’t pick up anything. They also want police to take a closer look at the construction entrance.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I am trying not to jump to conclusions but I agree that it is difficult to believe the vehicle was not caught on surveillance unless it was a different time period... I don't know much with regard to the subdivision but with the homes that have surveillance or Ring doorbells nowadays one would think someone or at least one cam caught something of the car going through the subdivision even if not exiting it...

The info that she was going to a community dumpster between 3 and 6 must come from somewhere. Whether surveillance or the hub, etc. it has not been shared how they know this... Unless I missed it which is entirely possible...

I have thoughts in varying directions but until we know more, no real reason to lean one way or another... However, I am starting to lean about maybe 52 to 48 percent...

 

[Guess Who]

Only two entrances to her subdivision. Sounds like it’s the “main entrance” and a “construction entrance”.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Well, that would be why they didn't find her vehicle leaving....

Missing Venice woman found dead in pond

Venice police confirmed investigators do believe the woman found dead inside the SUV was Tracey Rieker, 44, who has been missing from her Venice home since Sept. 30.

nbc-2.com

Missing Venice woman found dead in pond​

A woman originally reported missing has been found dead inside an SUV in a Venice pond.

Divers with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and North Port police found a green Nissan Xterra in a large pond in the Toscana Isles subdivision in Venice Saturday morning.

Venice police confirmed investigators do believe the woman found dead inside the SUV was Tracey Rieker, 44, who has been missing from her Venice home since Sept. 30.

The case is being treated as a traffic homicide, but the investigation continues to determine Rieker’s cause of death, according to Venice police.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Well, that would be why they didn't find her vehicle leaving....

Missing Venice woman found dead in pond

Venice police confirmed investigators do believe the woman found dead inside the SUV was Tracey Rieker, 44, who has been missing from her Venice home since Sept. 30.

nbc-2.com

Missing Venice woman found dead in pond​

A woman originally reported missing has been found dead inside an SUV in a Venice pond.

Divers with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and North Port police found a green Nissan Xterra in a large pond in the Toscana Isles subdivision in Venice Saturday morning.

Venice police confirmed investigators do believe the woman found dead inside the SUV was Tracey Rieker, 44, who has been missing from her Venice home since Sept. 30.

The case is being treated as a traffic homicide, but the investigation continues to determine Rieker’s cause of death, according to Venice police.

A traffic homicide is a new term to me. Not one I ever heard much if at all, I don't think.

Anyone have thoughts or know more? The word "traffic" really throws me. Forced off of the road? Put in the car dead and car driven in or pushed in, perp gets out or never goes in...?

So this is right in their subdivision? It would seem to make the list of perps very small... It also seems like a stupid thing to do. Assuming this was a murder I mean.

If this place was camera covered on the ways in and out, as they said there was no sighting of the car leaving the subdivision, then the perp probably thought it was smart to keep any movement off camera? All it probably did was show LE she probably didn't leave there and now they found her so not real bright.

I thought the hub calling the car "my" was a bit odd in his on camera time but I thought it could have been just because it was one he typically used. It stood out to me though, many spouses would think in terms of "our" but I have one that thinks in terms of me, my, I so it is something I tend to notice is all.

In this article, I don't get what the family means about this being investigated sooner? It says from the families "The outcome of the investigation is shocking and devastating, and we wish this could have been investigated sooner to bring needed closure for the family."

Police find body believed to be missing Venice mom Tracey Rieker inside submerged car

I don't mean to be judgey but ten days to find a missing person is much better than some who are never found. Yet they are in grief and shock and I am sure the ten days seemed like an eternity of not knowing and being devastated.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

A traffic homicide is a new term to me. Not one I ever heard much if at all, I don't think.

Anyone have thoughts or know more? The word "traffic" really throws me. Forced off of the road? Put in the car dead and car driven in or pushed in, perp gets out or never goes in...?

A traffic homicide investigator (THI) is a term used primarily in the United States of America for a police employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

They carefully document the scenes of crashes, ideally in a manner thorough enough to allow specially trained officers to reconstruct the scene at a later time, after the roadway has been reopened. This includes documenting the precise details of the roadway on which the fatality occurred; the state of any vehicles involved, including the use of safety features; the condition, legal status and attitude of the operator or operators of any vehicles, and any other local factors such as the weather and the presence or absence of appropriate road signage.

Per Wikipedia

My guess is, they're looking at it as a possible homicide to cover their bases and make sure they're doing their due diligence in case there was foul play. OR there is evidence of a hit-and-run (damage to the car, skid marks, etc.)

In this article, I don't get what the family means about this being investigated sooner? It says from the families "The outcome of the investigation is shocking and devastating, and we wish this could have been investigated sooner to bring needed closure for the family."

Perhaps they DID see evidence of a possible hit-and-run or crash in that area? Or maybe they're upset because of the lack of footage of her vehicle leaving, they wanted the bodies of water investigated sooner?

 

[GrandmaBear]

A traffic homicide investigator (THI) is a term used primarily in the United States of America for a police employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

They carefully document the scenes of crashes, ideally in a manner thorough enough to allow specially trained officers to reconstruct the scene at a later time, after the roadway has been reopened. This includes documenting the precise details of the roadway on which the fatality occurred; the state of any vehicles involved, including the use of safety features; the condition, legal status and attitude of the operator or operators of any vehicles, and any other local factors such as the weather and the presence or absence of appropriate road signage.

Per Wikipedia

My guess is, they're looking at it as a possible homicide to cover their bases and make sure they're doing their due diligence in case there was foul play. OR there is evidence of a hit-and-run (damage to the car, skid marks, etc.)


Perhaps they DID see evidence of a possible hit-and-run or crash in that area? Or maybe they're upset because of the lack of footage of her vehicle leaving, they wanted the bodies of water investigated sooner?

All great points.

It almost sounds like not all, but wise LE departments, investigating any death first as a possible anything or homicide before automatically calling it a suicide and closing the case.

I am familiar with accident reconstructionalists but the term traffic homicide or investigator is a new one to me. It may be an area thing or term. Vehicular homicide or manslaughter is familiar and maybe that is the same. Traffic threw me.

It is reassuring to know then they are looking at all things (or know something we do not) and not just assuming she did this herself.

And she may have, but for me, I don't like cases where information about the victim comes from just one person as to what they were doing, how they were acting and so forth and that does not mean anything is wrong and it happens, it may all be true but I would certainly want to see more to confirm the account.

Another good point that the family may have wanted the water searched sooner if one assumes LE informed them any earlier than we heard that she was not seen on video.

I am not accusing anyone at all but do see the need to dot i's and cross t's... It is reassuring to know they are doing that. It would be nice to see that happen in all such cases.

It is so rare in some areas for them to say they are treating a scene or investigating it like a homicide, I felt it might mean something. The case in your area was like that, they said that about the pregnant mother, that they were treating it as a homicide and said it pretty early on.

 

[tlorik]

Bless her heart. RIP.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Pretty obvious signs of a vehicle being in the water here. Perhaps that is why the family is upset that it wasn't looked at sooner.
But that vehicle does NOT look like the one described as being hers... Not sure if it's a stock photo or what?



Police are taking the case as a traffic homicide. The family members are sure that Rieker won’t drive her intentionally into the water.

The case is still in process as there is no sign of suspect, the authority has not released any further information.

A woman went missing, police found her car submerged inside a pond - Andover Leader

A 44-year-old woman of Venice went missing on September 30, leaving her cell phone and wallet at home. Husband Christian Rieker said he woke up at 6 am till then her wife disappeared and saw his green Nissan Xterra was also gone. The authorities were investigating with the Sarasota County...

andoverleader.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Pretty obvious signs of a vehicle being in the water here. Perhaps that is why the family is upset that it wasn't looked at sooner.
But that vehicle does NOT look like the one described as being hers... Not sure if it's a stock photo or what?

View attachment 7339 View attachment 7340

Police are taking the case as a traffic homicide. The family members are sure that Rieker won’t drive her intentionally into the water.

The case is still in process as there is no sign of suspect, the authority has not released any further information.

A woman went missing, police found her car submerged inside a pond - Andover Leader

A 44-year-old woman of Venice went missing on September 30, leaving her cell phone and wallet at home. Husband Christian Rieker said he woke up at 6 am till then her wife disappeared and saw his green Nissan Xterra was also gone. The authorities were investigating with the Sarasota County...

andoverleader.com

Strange. Those windows are not even the same shape. And that sure is not green. If that is a stock photo, they should really say so. And if that one is not right it makes me wonder about the other one. As for the tracks, I wonder if they could be from when it was pulled out versus headed in?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Chief: Rieker death inquiry still early

VENICE — Investigators have spent hours talking with the family of Tracey Lynn Rieker after her body was found a week ago.

www.yoursun.com

Chief: Rieker death inquiry still early​

Investigators have spent hours talking with the family of Tracey Lynn Rieker after her body was found a week ago.

Her husband, Christian Rieker, said Friday that police had spent “significant time with me in my home” during the time she was missing and in the week since her body was found submerged in a car in a nearby lake.

He reiterated what authorities had said: The investigation is going to take time.

“Most of the information is going to take weeks or a few months,” Christian Rieker said. “They did a search of the vehicle. They didn’t find anything that looked like foul play or anything like that.”


Venice Police Chief Tom Mattmuller said Thursday the city’s Traffic Homicide investigation team is looking at aspects of the death, denoting the term “traffic homicide” does not mean anything criminal took place. It is the team that investigates any death or serious injury involving a vehicle.


They will be able to determine how fast the Nissan Xterra was traveling when it hit the water and determine how it ended up in the final location.

He gave few other details.

“The doors were closed and locked,” Mattmuller said.

He noted the vehicle was “far enough and deep enough away to not be seen from the air” but wouldn’t say how far from the edge of the lake or deep in the water it was.


His team will also have to wait for District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office for its autopsy results. It’s awaiting toxicology results which could take up to eight weeks because of the condition of the body.

“The fact is we are interested in doing very comprehensive testing and the decomposition means it will take a longer time rather than a shorter amount of time (to complete),” Medical Examiner Russell Vega said Tuesday.

And that’s where the inquiry is at this point.

“There’s nothing that’s giving us any indication other than it was a person who drove into the water,” Mattmuller said.

Family and friends previously noted Tracey Rieker had been involved in extended fast and prayer in late September and wonder if it may have played a part in her mental health.

“I don’t believe she thought she was driving into a lake,” Christian Rieker said Tuesday.