Handyman

Handyman, 34, charged with homicide after physique of lacking lady present in septic tank in her yard

  • Police began searching the backyard for the body of Cynthia Cole, 57, who has been reported missing since February 24
  • Her body was found submerged in the cesspool, buried in her backyard at the 4500 block of NE Skyline Drive in Jensen Beach
  • Her handyman, Keoki Hilo Demich, 34, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder
  • Demich had been hired by Cole to be her handyman for the last few years and was the only person investigators were suspicious of after she went missing

The body of a Florida woman who disappeared more than a week ago had been found in her septic tank – and her handyman was arrested for murder.

Police began searching for Cynthia Cole, 57, in the tank just hours after their handyman Keoki Hilo Demich was arrested Friday night.

After several hours of excavation, her body was discovered in the cesspool buried in her backyard on the 4500 block of NE Skyline Drive in Jensen Beach.

Demich, 34, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Cole, who walked past Cyndi, has been missing for over a week and was last seen at a Jammin Jensen event on February 24.

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Cynthia Cole’s body, pictured, was found in the septic tank in her backyard on Friday night. Suspect Keoki Hilo Demich, Cole’s handyman who was arrested and charged in connection with her murder of Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, and investigators dig in Cynthia Cole’s backyard March 4-5, 2022, a week after the woman went missing was reported

Demich had been employed by Cole as a handyman for the last few years.

He was the only person investigators were suspicious of after she was reported missing.

“He made several statements that we know to be false, so he was charged with second-degree murder,” said Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.

Snyder added that ring cameras and security footage near Cole’s home shows Demich exiting Cole’s car near Demich’s home in Stuart on the same night Cole was last seen.

According to Snyder, there were several other instances in which Demich was caught on cameras near Cole’s vehicle.

Cole, who walked past Cyndi, has been missing for over a week and was last seen at a Jammin Jensen event on February 24. Cole, pictured, was likely murdered at her home before her body was placed in the septic tank, authorities said Cole had hired Demich to be her handyman in recent years

After several hours of digging, they finally pulled Cole’s body out of the septic tank early Saturday morning.

“I’ve been doing this for over 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Snyder said.

Meanwhile, Snyder said detectives are still gathering evidence, adding that Demich could face additional charges.

Evidence gathered so far suggests that Cole was likely murdered in her home before her body was placed in the septic tank.

The body has yet to be positively identified by the coroner’s office, but authorities say they have every reason to believe they discovered Cole’s body.

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