Lennart Heim

20 People Talk About the Man Killed In a Plane Crash Who Was Identified As South Florida Serial Killer

Between 2000 and 2001, three South Florida women were murdered and their bodies discarded publicly. While these cases made headlines, they quickly left the spotlight. But that didn’t mean the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Miami Police Department gave up their investigation. After many years of investigating, a break in the case happened in 2011 when DNA from a Miami homicide matched an unknown suspect in the three women’s murders. Investigators traveled to Brazil for DNA evidence from the suspect (Roberto Wagner Fernandes,) but they learned that he died in a plane crash in 2005. During late 2020 and early 2021, the suspect’s grave was opened and his DNA profile was found to be consistent with the unknown suspect profile collected from the three women’s murders.

1. Gaps Between Deaths

Honestly, when it comes to serial killers, it’s always plausible. Sometimes you see these huge gaps in between their murders and you have to think there were a couple that were missed in that time, at least if the killer had a compulsion. Plus, I don’t think Brazil has the best record regarding the tracking of serial killers.

IdreamofFiji

2. 15 Years for Confirmation

And then he spent 4 years in Brazil/Paraguay without having any other victims there? Not likely right?

It kinda annoys me that they identified him as a dangerous killer, but when they were told he was dead they took 15 years to confirm it. If he had faked it he could have killed so many people.

RainRainThrowaway777

3. DNA Match

Florida authorities identified late Roberto Fernandes as serial killer responsible for killings of Kimberly Dietz-Livesey, Sia Demas and Jessica Good. 

All three victims were sex workers battling drug addiction who were found murdered between 2000 and 2001. 

Fernandes fled to his native Brazil in 2001 and was killed in a plane crash in 2005 while fleeing to Paraguay. 

Fernandes had been acquitted of killing his wife in 1996 on a self-defense claim, but her family may have hired assassins to kill him, prompting him to flee.

Fernandes’ body was exhumed last year, and his DNA was found to match evidence at all three crime scenes in Florida.

JustScratch9459

4. Persistent Search for Justice

You so often hear of subpar police work leading to missed opportunities or wrongful convictions in relation to murdered and missing persons, so it’s great to hear about these detectives’ dogged and persistent search for justice.

RoofPreader

5. Trash Day

I like it when the trash takes itself out.

Moo58

6. Likely More Victims

He was also a flight attendant and worked for a Miami tour bus company according to the statement streamed by Broward Sheriff yesterday. Def victims elsewhere.

nmdoozy

7. Great Lengths

It’s incredible the lengths they went to in order to solve this. It’s good to hear.

RegalRegalis

8. Karma

When bad things happen to bad people . . .

GodofWitsandWine

9. What’s Next?

Wow, it’s fascinating how cases are solved sometimes. What’s next, Zodiac will be identified after an earthquake in California reveals a hidden dungeon below a house?!

TheeOhSeesUndRPGs

10. His Time to Suffer

Hope he lived through enough of the crash to suffer.

blindsidetime

11. Forensic File

This should be a forensic file episode. It’s crazy to think back then their was no DNA. No way of forensically looking at a scene except at face value. solving a murder back then you must’ve been a good homicide detective.

hotgur1

12. Did He Kill Her Too?

If his fingerprints were taken following his wife’s death, should we assume he was a suspect in her death? That info is not given here, and I wonder.

Dame_Marjorie

13. Effort Was Given

There’s something off in terms of how it all went down. The federal government seems to have really given an effort and even managed to work with agencies in other countries. That takes a lot of pull.

Compared to how a lot of cases just get stored away, forgotten and go cold eventually, this one seems to have survived the test of time. Either that or he killed someone who wasn’t just anyone.

Goofy_AF

14. No Justice

I’m glad that they identified the killer, just sad that like so many of them he won’t face justice, at least not here on earth.

primusinterpares1

15. Karma Kicked His Ass

Glad to see the case is finally solved somewhat. It sounds like Karma kicked this guy’s ass, since he already died in a plane crash.

ArtsyOwl

16. Toiled

Toiled? Twenty years sitting cold is not toiled. Biased article painting officers as, “relentless heros ” But I am sure the families of these women are grateful, no matter how long it took.

mibtp

17. Closure

That’s cool. Glad those families finally got closure.

UncleYimbo

18. Dead Since 2005

I’m happy he’s been dead since 2005 and didn’t have the chance over the past 16 years to kill anyone else.

SnooDrawings1745

19. Paraguay

I have never expected my country (Paraguay) to appear here.

I’m sad that these victims won’t get justice, but at least he can’t do more harm.

MilyV

20. Assassins Hired

Good point… Assassin’s may have been hired to kill him, but were unsuccessful because he died in an unlikely scenario. Definitely just bad luck 😉

DeutyDaBeast