In 2007, a series of horrifying crimes shook a South Florida community, and now, years later, a retired FBI agent believes they could all be linked, with the suspect still on the loose.
The crimes took place at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall and involved multiple disturbing incidents, including murders and a kidnapping.
These events – the killings of Randi Gorenberg, Nancy and Joey Bochicchio, and the abduction of a mother and child – have remained unsolved for years.
But now, former FBI agent John MacVeigh, who investigated these cases for a decade, suspects there’s a common thread tying them together, and he’s convinced the culprit is still out there.
A Closer Look at the Crimes
The Murder of Randi Gorenberg
Randi Gorenberg, 52, was last seen on March 23, 2007, leaving the mall.
Soon after, gunshots rang out, and Gorenberg’s body was discovered at a nearby park.
She had been thrown from a moving vehicle, and signs of resistance suggested she fought back against her attacker. MacVeigh noted that she was likely shot while trying to defend herself before being discarded on the roadside.
The Kidnapping of a Mother and Her Child
Just months later, on August 7, 2007, a woman and her two-year-old son were abducted from the same mall. The woman was in the process of loading her stroller into her car when the suspect jumped into the backseat, forcing her to drive to an ATM and withdraw money.
Afterward, in a bizarre twist, the kidnapper returned them to the mall, blindfolded the mother, and fled.
MacVeigh described the abduction as “blatant and bizarre,” particularly because the perpetrator made the unusual decision to return the victims to the scene of the crime.
The Bochicchio Murders
Then, just four months later, on December 12, 2007, Nancy and her daughter Joey Bochicchio were targeted at the same mall.
They were abducted, forced to withdraw money from an ATM, and then tragically murdered.
Their bodies were found in their car, still running, parked in the mall parking lot.
Investigators believe Nancy fought back, possibly trying to save her daughter, but both were shot in the end.
A Pattern Emerges
After years of investigation, MacVeigh is now a private investigator, and he sees clear patterns in these crimes.
He believes the same person is behind all three.
The consistent targeting of women, the use of restraints like blacked-out swim goggles, and the similarities in the locations and timing suggest the same individual could be responsible for these attacks.
“The area, the timing, and the victims all point to the same person,” MacVeigh said.
“It’s hard to believe this isn’t the same individual.”
The crimes took place in broad daylight, in a wealthy area, and within a short timeframe.
According to MacVeigh, the mall’s affluent shoppers may have been specifically targeted for their perceived wealth.
Investigation Challenges and Dead Ends
Despite an extensive investigation that involved thousands of interviews, DNA evidence, and a task force that was eventually disbanded, these cases remain unsolved.
MacVeigh explained the level of effort put into trying to identify the suspect, including sending agents to the mall and issuing subpoenas to employees.
Yet, the breakthrough they needed never came.
A composite sketch based on the victim’s description of the suspect was released, but it was too vague to be of much help, leaving investigators with little to go on.
“You could be looking at a hundred different people who match that description,” MacVeigh said about the sketch’s generic details.
Though two persons of interest were identified in the Bochicchio case, no arrests have been made.
A Detective’s Perspective
Palm Beach County Detective William Springer, who is leading the Gorenberg investigation, has also acknowledged the possible connection between the crimes.
Last year, he told WPTV, “The possibility that these crimes are connected is real. There are just too many similarities.”
He speculates that the mall may have been chosen as a hunting ground due to its mix of affluent shoppers, and that the lack of sexual assault in all three incidents suggests the motive was not sexual in nature. Springer theorized that the first murder, that of Randi Gorenberg, could have been a failed attempt at something else, prompting the suspect to change tactics with later crimes.
The Need for Justice
Despite increased security around the mall in the years since the crimes, MacVeigh warns that the suspect is likely still out there.
He emphasizes that solving these cases is crucial for bringing closure to the victims’ families, and he continues to push for further investigation.
As the mystery continues, the people of Boca Raton, and especially the families affected, hold onto the hope that one day the killer will be caught.