An eye doctor was taken into custody by the authorities in Florida after it was alleged that he murdered his ex-wife as she was returning home from her job as a flight attendant. This occurred following a divorce in which he was required to pay her a settlement of $285,000 as part of the agreement.
Cynthia Lynn Sciarrone, his ex-wife, was found dead outside of her condo in Greenacres, which is located in Palm Beach County. Richard Edmond Seith, who is 53 years old, is charged of first-degree murder in connection with her death. Deputy sheriffs responded to the condominium at approximately 3:20 a.m. on July 15 for a “man down” report, according to an arrest document that was based on probable cause. The body of Sciarrone, who had been shot in the head, was discovered outside of her vehicle. She was dressed in the outfit she had worn as a flight attendant for Spirit Airlines.
The surveillance video footage from the car of the 54-year-old Sciarrone was analyzed by the investigators. The tape showed her arriving at her residence at approximately 11:43 p.m. the previous evening. The police have remarked that the footage contains a sound of a gunshot. An image was displayed of a man who was wearing a baseball cap and walking away from the area.
According to the allegations, Seith was driving his orange Jeep Wrangler in the vicinity of his ex-wife’s condo both before and after the slaying. The police got cellphone data and car plate readers to facilitate their investigation. Additionally, a witness stated that he observed Seith’s vehicle in the vicinity of the complex in the days preceding up to the homicide. According to the affidavit, Seith allegedly conducted online searches that gave the impression that he was looking for information regarding the possible arrival time of his wife’s flight at the airport.
The facts that Seith and Sciarrone formalized their divorce on May 5 were revealed to the detectives. As part of the agreement, Seith was required to pay over $285,000 to his ex-wife in order to clear the mortgage on a house that she had been given. Additionally, Sciarrone had reported two previous vandalism occurrences that included her vehicle, and she felt Seith was responsible for each of them. These events occurred in the most recent months.
Deputies were told by a witness that she had dated Seith in the past and that she later became acquaintances with Sciarrone after the couple obtained their marriage license in 2018. The issues that Sciarrone and Seith were having in their marriage would be discussed in private with the witness. According to the testimony of the witness, Seith exhibited a “escalating pattern of emotionally and psychologically abusive behavior” toward Sciarrone. Additionally, it is stated that he requested that she “swing” with other sexual partners, something “she was not comfortable doing, especially with strangers.” According to the police, Seith made a commitment to pay for any necessary dental repair that she would require if she participated in the swinging.
When Sciarrone started working as a flight attendant, she did so with the intention of achieving greater financial independence from her spouse at the time. However, according to the police, this decision also resulted in complications. For instance, the affidavit stated that Seith was unable to drink by himself at home while she was training because he would enter a “dark place” and imagine what she was doing when she was away from him.
Moreover, Seith “proudly” admitted to his wife that he had made a phony Facebook account in order to stalk an ex-girlfriend and that he had contacted her new partner in order to refer to her as a “gold digger.” This information was provided by the witness. As a result of Seith’s communication with Sciarrone, the former girlfriend finally got in touch with her. According to the affidavit, she requested that Sciarrone “run run run” away from Seith to avoid him.
Additionally, the witness disclosed to the investigators that Seith had sought the assistance of a specialist after he had contemplated the act of murdering his second ex-wife during the course of their divorce.
On the 16th of July, detectives conducted an interview with Seith. He stated that the last time he saw his ex-wife was in December, when they were both present at a court hearing. In the affidavit, it was said that he denied having any involvement in her passing.
They took Seith into custody on Friday.
As well as being an ophthalmologist, the defendant is the proprietor of the Treasure Coast Eye Specialist, which is located in Stuart. At an earlier time on Monday, the corporation published a statement on its Facebook page.
“We are walking through something very heavy this week, and we humbly ask for your prayers and grace as our team continues to focus on caring for our patients,” Dr. Carrie Palmer, the owner of the clinic, wrote. “With our faith and abundant support from trusted professionals, we are taking every precaution necessary while continuing to operate with the same commitment to excellence and compassion that defines our practice.”
The Palm Beach County Jail continues to hold Seith without releasing him on bond.
