Murder victim (illustration)
Murder victim (illustration)Israel news photo: Flash 90

A dramatic development has been made in the investigation of the 2013 murder of a Toronto-based Jewish couple. 

Rochelle Wise, 66 and David Pichosky, 71 were found strangled to death in their townhouse last January in Hallandale Beach, Florida. They had only been married for about 4 years, and had successfully blended their two families, according to the Huffington Post

The investigation has been difficult until now. 

"As the details come out I believe the public will be shocked just to know how senseless this murder was," said Police Chief Dwayne Flournoy. "It angers me that someone came into this home and killed these two people who, (from) what we've been able to identify, they have no enemies. They were nice people. They were enjoying their retirement. They were enjoying their new marriage."

Shalom Toronto reports Wednesday that a break has been made in the case. Florida Police reported that DNA found at the murder scene matches two women; security cameras behind the townhouse caught frames showing another woman involved in the attacks. In addition, a shoe print taken at the scene narrowed the suspect list to owners of a very specific shoe - an Adidas shoe from a line manufactured only until the year 2000. 

At the moment, the motive is still unclear, according to the report. However, police have not ruled out the possibility of robbery, as Weiss wore a 2.5 carat diamond ring valued at more than $16,000.

The victims' families have offered a cash prize of 50 thousand dollars for information that will lead to arrest one of the suspects.

Daughter Sherry Rosenbaum said, "We have learned to live in a new reality over the last year [. . .] for our family, every day is a nightmare. We have no peace, no closure," she lamented. "I ask any person who has information about the death of my father and his wife the strength and conviction, do the right thing and give the police the information." 

David, an accountant and businessman, bought the townhouse in Miami in the 1980s, at a time when he was married to his first wife Sandra.
When Sandra succumbed to cancer in 2006, David, who was also known as "Donny," married Rochelle. Rochelle served for many years as a teacher and vice principal for the Bialik Elementary School in Toronto, and was also the director and founder of Crestwood Valley Day Camp from 1999 to 2005.