Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Violence Is What I’m Fixed On’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs Of A Psychopath,’ the primary focus is on the mysterious disappearance and horrific killing of a single 57-year-old mother of three named Cynthia Cole in Florida in early 2022. As the investigation progressed, the law enforcement connected the dots and solved the mystery behind the gruesome crime with the help of security footage, witness statements, and cell phone records. The documentary also features insightful and emotional interviews with Cynthia’s loved ones and the officials who worked hard to get to the bottom of the case.
Cynthia Cole’s Remains Were Discovered Submerged in a Septic Tank in Her Backyard
Born in 1965, Cynthia Marie “Cindi” Cole lived a content life in her Jensen Beach, Florida, home. Heavily active on social media, the social butterfly loved attending concerts and hanging out with her friends. She was also a doting mother of three cchildren. Around February 2022, she was in the middle of renovating her home to turn it into an Airbnb. According to reports, Cynthia went to a concert in Jensen Beach on February 24, 2022, and posted about it on social media. However, in the following days, one of her friends found it strange that she hadn’t posted anything on her social media, something she did daily. So, on March 2, the friend reported 57-year-old Cynthia missing to the police.
As the authorities entered the missing woman’s home, they noticed no signs of struggle in the apartment but found a shotgun in the master bedroom. Her phone, which had run out of battery, was also found at the property. During the excavation of her backyard, from the night of March 4 into the early hours of March 5, the deputies found her remains submerged in a green sewer-type pipe at the property, about four feet underground. According to the medical examiner’s initial reports, the 57-year-old woman could have been alive when she was buried in the septic tank. The cause of her death was determined to be blunt force trauma to her head and torso. It was also reported that Cynthia was strangled and asphyxiated.
Cynthia Cole’s Killer Was One of Her Employees
During the investigation, the authorities discovered Cynthia Cole’s gray Jeep Cherokee in a parking lot in Stuart, Florida, on March 4, 2022. As they spoke with her friends and acquaintances, the detectives learned that she had employed a handyman named Keoki Hilo Demich to renovate her home. Another handyman named Jason Garland claimed that he had given her a shotgun before leaving for Tennessee on February 19, as she was allegedly afraid of someone. Zeroing in on Keoki, the investigators reviewed Cynthia’s cell phone records and retrieved several messages she exchanged with Keoki around the time of her disappearance. A text she sent around 2:39 am on February 25 read, “Hey key, sent you some money to finish the house off I’ll call you Saturday morning when I’m on my way.”
As they brought in Keoki for questioning, he admitted to performing odd jobs at Cynthia’s property on weekends. He claimed that he had inspected an air conditioner at her house, a couple of days before she went missing, and that was the last time he saw her. During his interview, the suspect had many inconsistencies in his story, which kept changing as the detectives asked some difficult questions. At first, he claimed he had booked a cab through a ride-share app to her place to collect money from her, and that he walked home afterward. Having denied driving her Jeep, he later admitted that he took the vehicle to the Stuart parking lot as she allegedly instructed. Security footage showed an individual matching Keoki’s description walking around the vehicle in the Stuart parking lot.
After days of questioning, the suspect eventually admitted to what really transpired and how he killed his 57-year-old employer. He confessed to waiting for her in her home, where he attacked and killed her, before fleeing the scene in her Jeep. It turned out that Keoki was a registered sex offender in Washington, as he was convicted of residential burglary with sexual motivation in 2004. He had also been convicted of failing to report his sexual offender status after moving to Fort Pierce, Florida. Keoki was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Cynthia Cole’s homicide.
Keoki Demich is Currently Incarcerated at a Florida Prison
A few months after his arrest, on August 16, 2022, in order to avoid the death penalty, Keoki Demich pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, burglary of an occupied dwelling with an assault or battery, and sexual battery with great force, in connection with Cynthia Cole’s killing. He also pleaded guilty to grand theft and grand theft of a motor vehicle. Consequently, he was sentenced to three consecutive life terms for the three convictions. As of today, the 38-year-old killer is serving his sentence at Northwest Florida Reception Center – Main Unit in Chipley, Florida.
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