Overkill

Summary

Felonious Florida: The Altidor Massacre – Episode 3: Overkill

Release Date: May 6, 2025

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Introduction

In Season 5 of Felonious Florida, host David Shoots delves deep into one of the most gruesome unsolved cases in the Sunshine State—the Altidor Massacre. Episode 3, titled "Overkill," meticulously unpacks the brutal quadruple homicide that unfolded on a quiet spring morning in Miramar, Florida, in 1997. This detailed summary captures the key discussions, insights, and investigative breakthroughs presented in the episode, offering listeners an engaging walkthrough of the case.

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The Brutal Altidor Massacre

On the morning of April 30, 1997, the Altidor family—comprising Teresa Laverne (the grandmother), Marie Altidore (the mother), George Altidore (the father and primary suspect), and their two young daughters, Samantha (two years old) and Sabrina (six weeks old)—were brutally murdered in their Miramar home. The killings were executed with extraordinary speed and violence, leaving investigators baffled and the community in shock.

David Shoots narrates the horrifying sequence of events:

"Teresa was preparing breakfast when suddenly she was struck in her head with a hammer... The attack wasn't over. She was then hit in the head with a hammer, again and again, as many as two dozen times." ([00:57])

The brutality extended beyond Teresa, with Marie and their daughters falling victim to the same inhumane treatment.

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Crime Scene Details

Detective Ron Peluzzo provides an in-depth analysis of the crime scene, highlighting the sheer ferocity and efficiency of the murders:

"This was extremely violent because the people were beaten and shot... There was a lot of rage there, a lot of rage." ([07:18])

The kitchen, central to the house's layout, became the primary murder ground. Forensic evidence revealed multiple hammer blows and gunshots, indicating a methodical attempt to eliminate each family member swiftly.

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Emotional Impact on Investigators

The sheer senselessness of the massacre left a lasting impression on the detectives involved. Detective Peluzzo recalls the emotional turmoil faced by the officers:

"Police officers hardened. But this was a crime scene where people were crying and it broke down." ([15:43])

The traumatic experience underscored the challenges law enforcement faces when confronting such extreme violence, reinforcing their determination to seek justice for the victims.

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George Altidore's Alibi and Interrogation

George Altidore emerged as the primary suspect early in the investigation. His detailed interrogation revealed critical insights and potential cracks in his alibi:

"Do you owe anyone any money? No." ([24:56])

George maintained that he was at work during the time of the murders, a claim supposedly verifiable by his coworkers. However, inconsistencies arose during his questioning, particularly regarding his attempts to contact his family and the reliability of his neighbor's alibi.

Detective Peluzzo emphasizes the meticulous nature of George's interrogation:

"It's my understanding that you left your house today to go to work... How would the killer know whether or not there was a fifth person hiding behind that locked door?" ([26:18] - [26:18])

Despite thorough questioning, George Altidore's alibi remained uncorroborated, leaving investigators with lingering suspicions.

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Unresolved Evidence and Mysteries

The Altidor case is riddled with perplexing evidence that has stymied investigators for decades:

• Lack of Fingerprints and Footprints: Despite the bloodshed, no foreign fingerprints or footprints were found at the scene. Detective Peluzzo muses:

  "Where's my footprints with all that blood?... I have no footprints." ([31:59])

• Missing Gun and Shell Casings: Five bullets were fired during the murders, yet no gun or shell casings were recovered, deepening the mystery surrounding the perpetrator’s escape.

• Mysterious Clothing: Outside the house, women's clothing of unfamiliar sizes was scattered, prompting further investigation. Fabiola, Marie's cousin, identified the clothes as her own, left at the scene inexplicably.

  "They were like scattered on the ground... They were like a bunch of clothes that wouldn't fit anyone in the house." ([35:19] - [36:12])

These anomalies suggest an efficiency and precision rarely seen in such violent crimes, fueling theories about the killer's familiarity with the household.

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Investigative Insights and Theories

Special Agent Tony Panetta and Detective Peluzzo discuss the possibility that the murders were executed before blood pools could form, explaining the absence of footprints:

"The killer was gone before the pools of blood had even formed." ([33:29])

This theory aligns with the FBI behavioral science review, which estimated the murders took as little as 12 seconds—a stark contrast to other high-profile cases, such as the O.J. Simpson murders.

Moreover, the meticulous nature of the crime scene suggests premeditation. The lack of forced entry and the preservation of valuables indicate that robbery was not the motive, pointing investigators toward personal motives or psychological factors driving the killer's rage.

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Conclusion and Ongoing Investigation

Despite the extensive investigation, the Altidor Massacre remains unsolved. The combination of efficient execution, lack of forensic evidence, and the enigmatic behavior of the primary suspect has left law enforcement without concrete leads. Detective Peluzzo remains steadfast in his pursuit of justice:

"He is the primary suspect. He's the guy who has to be looked at." ([37:26])

As Felonious Florida continues to explore this chilling case in subsequent episodes, listeners are left pondering the depths of human violence and the relentless quest for answers in the face of overwhelming brutality.

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Stay Informed

For those seeking more information about the Altidor murders, including photos and updates, visit feloniousflorida.com. If you have any information related to this case or other crimes covered in the series, please contact Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

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Felonious Florida is a production of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in association with Wondery. Episode 3 was reported and written by David Shoots, with contributions from Sean Pitts (sound design), Robin Webb (editing), and others who contributed to the haunting recount of the Altidor Massacre.

Transcript

[David Shoots]

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[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

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[David Shoots]

The Sea A Listener Note this episode contains descriptions of graphic violence that some listeners may find disturbing. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in court. The grandmother, Theresia Laverne, was probably the first to be attacked. It was April 30, 1997, a Wednesday, the time nobody can really say for sure. It was most likely very early. Teresia was wearing her mourning clothes, a white T shirt beneath two blue robes and slippers with criss cross straps. She was in the kitchen of her daughter Marie Altidore's house. There's no evidence that it was anything but an ordinary morning. The family was following their typical routine. Teresia was apparently preparing breakfast when suddenly she was struck in her head with a hammer. It was so fast she most likely didn't have any time to react. It's obvious she didn't see it coming and made no attempt to defend herself. Teresia fell face down on the white tile floor as blood began to spread out around her. The plate of food she was holding shattered next to her in front of the kitchen sink. But the attack wasn't over. She was then hit in the head with a hammer, again and again, as many as two dozen times. According to the medical examiner. Teresia was already dead, but still her attacker placed a gun to the back of her head and fired a single.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Bullet projectile entered the rear portion of of the skull and exited between the victim's eyes. The victim apparently was lying on the ground when the shot was fired, and the projectile passed through the center mass of the brain.

[David Shoots]

The Attack on Teresia took mere seconds. Just enough time for her daughter Marie to dash from her bedroom, through the dining room and to the kitchen door to witness the terrifying scene. Within moments, she too would be brutally murdered. And then the killer will turn to the last two people in the house, Marie's two year old and six week old daughters. From the South Florida Sun Sentinel, this is Felonious Florida, the podcast that leads you into the dark side of the Sunshine State. I'm David shoots. By April 30, 1997, George and Marie Altidore had been married for three years, two months and 18 days. In that time, they became homeowners, then parents twice, and their careers were taking off. But inside their home on Crescent Drive in Miramar, Florida, investigators say it took under a minute for all of it to end in a devastating and bloody killing spree. We used the forensic reports, autopsy results, crime scene analysis, and interviews with past and present detectives to piece together what happened in the house that morning. It's difficult to hear, but it's necessary to understand what we do know and maybe more importantly, what we don't. This is episode three Overkill. Marie Altidore's mother, Teresa Laverne, had just been shot and beaten to death on the kitchen floor. The kitchen is in the middle of the house with open entryways on each end. To the east, the kitchen is mostly open to a den or family room area. Beyond that are three more bedrooms and the garage. The dining room and master bedroom are to the west. Investigators believe Marie was in the master bedroom that morning where she and George slept. She was found by police wearing what she would typically wear to bed, a black short sleeved T shirt style dress over a bra. It's possible that Marie had heard the commotion in the kitchen and came to investigate. We can't know for sure. After all, the the only known witness to the crime is the killer. So these details are based on forensics like bullet projections, blood splatter analysis and autopsy findings. Whatever brought her to the kitchen door, the scene Marie encountered would have been heart stopping. Her mother's blood was everywhere, pooling out across the tile floor and sprayed up the cabinets, walls and and ceiling. But Marie wouldn't have had time to take it in. From about 10ft away, the killer raised the gun and fired at her twice. The first bullet struck Marie in the chest. The impact spun her to her left, away from the shooter and back toward the dining room. The second bullet entered Marie's right side as she spun around, passed horizontally through her chest and Exited her left side. That bullet went across the dining room through the wall and was later found on the bedroom floor. But Marie stayed on her feet for a few more steps. Maybe she was trying to flee back toward her bedroom or maybe to the sliding glass door that leads out to the pool and backyard. But the killer was right behind her and she didn't make it far. Marie fell in front of the glass door and the killer, standing over her feet, fired the gun twice more. The third bullet hit her in the upper back and lodged in her spine. The fourth bullet entered the back of her head and partially exited above her right eye. The four gunshots certainly had killed her. But as with Marie's mother, the attacker displayed a chilling amount of callous rage. Switching weapons and beating Marie over and over with the hammer. The back of her head and right side of her face took at least 2:19 blows. To the first police officers on the scene, like Sergeant John Thompson and Detective Ron Peluzzo, what stood out most was the amount of uncontrolled violence that the killer had displayed.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

This was extremely violent because the people were beaten and shot. If you wanted to just take someone out in the sense that, hey, I don't want them to talk or I don't want, I need to keep them quiet, I don't think you need to be that violent. There was a lot of rage there, a lot of rage.

[David Shoots]

This wasn't just murder, it was overkill. The sequence of events following Marie's killing aren't known for sure, but we do know that the killer, having eliminated the two adults in the house, did something unimaginably evil. Marie's two children were also in the house and they became the next targets. The scene is heartbreaking. Six week old Sabrina was in her bassinet in the den, feet away from where her grandmother had just been murdered in the kitchen. Tricia's blood now dotted the white lace that lined Sabrina's bassinet. The 19 pound infant was laying face up on a white blanket and pillow. She was wearing a white T shirt under a blue onesie, a diaper and red socks. The killer went to the bassinet and struck Sabrina on her tiny head and right side of her face with the hammer at least five times. The blows fractured her skull and caused bleeding in her brain. She likely died within seconds. Sabrina's two year old sister Samantha wasn't far away. Samantha was a sweet toddler, her mom's cousin told me. Always smiling, always on her best behavior and always eager to play with her cousins and friends. In Many ways, she was just like her mother, Marie. When Marie was a little girl, she.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Was like a little angel. You never even, you know, when kids go through the terrible tooth. I remember she came to see my dad and she came to see us at my house and she was like a little angel. She didn't make any sound, she wasn't running anywhere. She was just so pleasant. And I remember saying, oh my gosh, somebody is like a little angel. This is the best behaved two year old I've ever seen. And she would just like play with everybody.

[David Shoots]

On that Wednesday morning, Samantha was wearing a colorful floral dress over a diaper. She had bare feet and her hair was in square braids with each section held by a red barrette and a red stretch band. As gut wrenching as it is to imagine, Samantha likely witnessed the ferocious attacks on her mother and grandmother. The toddler fled through the family room to one of her favorite spots in the house. It was at the intersection of the south and east walls of the family room. A loveseat and a couch came together at that corner, creating a gap a couple of feet wide. Just big enough to leave room for the home's return vent that pulls in air for the air conditioning system and just big enough to give Samantha a spot to bring her toys and play by herself. The space was like Samantha's secret fort. That's what Special Agent Tony Panetta of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Miramar Officer Edgar Gallardo told me.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Where they found her was where that sofa and loveseat intersect. There was a little, that little bit of space that that was her playing spot. She would hide there, play there, things like that.

[David Shoots]

So when Samantha saw the violence in the other rooms, that's where she ran.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

She was the only one that could fit in that hiding spot. She just got afraid and she figured I need to find a place to hide. And it was a tight space, so she figured she hide there. She must have got in from one of the sides of the couch and crawl in behind the couch, hoping that whoever missed her and leave the house and she'll survive.

[David Shoots]

That didn't happen. The killer either knew Samantha used that corner as a hiding spot or saw her run there and followed.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

And then he went behind the couch and finished her up.

[David Shoots]

With the killer looming over her, Samantha tried to protect herself from the blows of the hammer. She curled up into a ball clutching her brown and white stuffed rabbit.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

It looked like the two year old was in the fetal position and you could see her skull. You know, her head was bashed so you could just tell from her position that she was terrified. You know, when people get into that fetal position is just when everything shuts down. You're so scared. You're just trying to hide from danger. That's. That's the impression. That's the impression I got. That fetal position. It was just. The child was. And that's the last thing. You know, you can almost think maybe she was the last one killed because she hides there. She's killed.

[David Shoots]

The medical examiner noted 22 separate wounds on Samantha's head and face. But it's difficult to know exactly how many times she was struck by the hammer. In the small space where she was curled up, the hammer kept scraping and bouncing off the wall as the killer swung it.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

When the person was striking the child, you know, it was in that corner and it was a tight corner that the actual hammer or whatever was used hit the drywall and caused scrapes. I remember seeing where the hammer came down, where it scraped the wall. You know, the blow was coming down. They actually hit the wall and then hit the baby. I don't forget that.

[David Shoots]

The killer had slain all four people who were in the house that morning. It was done with an incredible amount of rage and violence, but it was also stunningly efficient. The recreation of the murders was being timed in seconds and not minutes. Here's Special Agent Panetta.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Let me tell you. In the O.J. simpson case, it took about three minutes to kill the two of them. In your case, it took less than 20 seconds to kill all four of them. Because in the O.J. simpson, the victims fought back. In my case, none of them fought back. You had a baby, not gonna fight back. You have a little girl, she wasn't fighting back. You had an older lady, she didn't fight back and the wife didn't. The wife and the older lady, they got shot and then they got hit with a hammer. Less than a minute. He killed all four of them because they didn't fight back.

[David Shoots]

An FBI behavioral science review of the case went even further. That report concluded that the commission of the crimes, the violent killings of four people across three rooms of the house, took as little as 12 seconds. The crime scene inside the Altidor house was about as challenging as they come. Looming over the daunting task of combing for clues and evidence was the emotional heartbreak of the tragedy. Four members of the family had been brutally murdered, including an innocent two year old girl and her newborn sister.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

The thing that really sticks out of my mind is grown men just losing.

[David Shoots]

It, you know, for even the most seasoned police officers, like Detective Ron Peluso, the senselessness was impossible to comprehend.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Police officers hardened. But this was a crime scene where got so emotional. People crying and it broke down. And I remember it's always stuck in my mind, somebody coming, a young patrol officer coming up to me and say, listen to us. You got it together. Here he goes, you're the only one that's really holding it together. Well, deep down inside I wasn't, but I knew I'm the lead here. They're depending on me. If I lose it, what's going to happen?

[David Shoots]

To Palozzo and others who stepped into that house on Crescent Drive, the horrors of the scene would stay with them forever.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

And I've seen a lot in my career, but that's probably the most horrendous, worst thing I could visualize to this day. I can close my eyes and see that crime scene.

[David Shoots]

The tragedy of the crime also sets Paluzzo's determination to find justice for Teresa, Marie, Samantha and Sabrina. Within moments of securing the crime scene, he launches a massive investigation, dispatching dozens of officers across the neighborhood and throughout South Florida to string together as much information as possible. As TV news airs video of body bags being removed from his house. George Altidore, the husband of Marie, father of Samantha and Sabrina, and son in law of Teresa, is being interviewed at the Miramar Police Department. At least a portion of his statement was recorded on tape.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

The following is a tape recorded statement of George L. Last name spelling a L, T, I D, O, R. This statement is being taken on 30th April 1997. The time now is approximately 7:30pm Case number 970-44520. Sir, if at any time this becomes trying or difficult for you, and if you want to stop, please let me know because I know it's going to be difficult for you and it's perfectly understandable. As you know, I'm investigating the deaths of four individuals at your residence.

[David Shoots]

George tells Detective Peluzzo that he was at work all day and co workers could verify that.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

It's my understanding that you left your house today to go to work. Correct. What time did you leave? At 5, around 7. And is that the time you normally leave? Yes, sometimes a little bit earlier. Usually. Because if I don't leave by seven, you know I'll be late.

[David Shoots]

George estimates it took him about 30 minutes to commute from his home on Crescent Drive to the Marine air conditioning plant where he worked. It's just over 11 miles south in the city of Hialeah in Dade County. The exact timing of George's actions that day, right down to the minute, would prove to be a crucial element of the investigation, especially after the autopsy results come in. But for now, Detective Paluzzo presses on. George reveals that in the early afternoon he made a routine call home to check in with his family. He became concerned when they didn't answer.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Do you recall what time you initially started to call? I don't know exactly, but because sometime after two, I had a meeting, the production meeting, with my manager after the meeting, to add her footing on the floor. Then I went and called them, you know, some phone call, and called my wife. She wasn't there. Try to call again. Keep calling. Is this what you normally do when you call the house? Yes, every day. Do you have an answering machine? Yes. Did that machine pick up? Yes. Every time you answer, the machine pick up. And after calling numerous times, you didn't get anyone. What did you do? I called my next door neighbor, called him. He's on some mission to talk to me. Glenn, did you leave a message? No, I didn't. Okay.

[David Shoots]

George's neighbor is Patrick James. Detective Peluzo later asked George if it would be normal for him to call Patrick if he was unable to reach his wife. And he also asks George why he didn't leave a message on Patrick's answering machine. That part of the interview is not on tape, but there's a transcript. George answers that, yes, he has called Patrick before in a similar situation, but he couldn't remember when. And he can't explain why he didn't leave a message. He just didn't want to. Patrick would later tell police that actually he was home at that time, but he was unable to confirm that George had actually called him. It was 1997. There was no texting, no voicemail. People recorded messages on answering machines with cassette tapes. It was imperfect technology, and Patrick said his machine was unreliable.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Did you receive any phone calls from Georgia out the door? Well, on my answering machine, there was none. But as I told you before, it's not unusual that my answer machine wipes out certain messages. But if you were at home and the phone rang, would you not answer it? Yes, I'd answer it. And that eve that day, 11:30 on, what were you doing? I. I went outside and messed around with my dog periodically. I was in this. This living room area, in my patio area, because what I do, I turn my TV screen towards the pool, and I could just sit outside and watch tv. You know, you would be in close Proximity to a phone. If it rang, you would hear, oh yeah, my phone is in the bedroom. And what I do, I screen my calls. So if I heard a voice, I'd pick up the phone.

[David Shoots]

But if the phone did ring, Patrick didn't answer it and George didn't talk to the answering machine. George tells Detective Peluzzo that his next call was to his sister's husband, Rochiner Serafin. He lives about 10 minutes away in the neighboring city of Pembroke Pines.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

I finally get a hold of my brother in law. When I called, they said that he was sleeping. And I tell my nephew, I said wake him up because you know it's important. When we pick up the phone, I tell him because he is the best man of my wedding. I asked him, please go over there, find out what happened. Because I keep calling, there's no answer. My words. Do you recall about what time this was? Sometime around 4:00'. Clock. Okay, so you, you asked him to go over and. Yes, I understand because I know that my mother in law was not supposed to go out and she would pick up the phone. You said your mother in law wasn't supposed to go out. Did you anticipate your wife going somewhere? Yes, my wife was supposed to go register the baby to the daycare because Monday she was supposed to start daycare. My wife was going back to work from home.

[David Shoots]

George's brother in law, Rochener, later told Detective Pell and Agent Panetta that he agreed to go check on George's family. In that statement, Rochener said that he took his 12 year old son and drove his gold Toyota Camry to Crescent Drive. He arrived at just after 5pm and knocked several times without getting an answer.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

The door was not locked, but closed. Okay, okay. So I pulled the door handle. Then my son walk in and I followed him. And there was no alarm? No. The alarm was not set on the house when you arrived? No.

[David Shoots]

The quality of the recording of Rochener's statement to police is poor. But he said he and his son were inside the Altidor house for just a matter of seconds before the reality of the scene hit them. He later described to a TV news reporter what happened when his son saw the dead bodies and he saw the.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Baby in that little crib and the grandmother lying in a pool of blood. He screamed, all blood.

[David Shoots]

And all I could do is to grab his hand and walk him out there and call the police. That's all I could do. Rochener told police that's all he saw in the house. But his statement confirmed a detail that was an important piece of the puzzle. The front door was unlocked and the alarm wasn't set. Since it was already established that Marie was security conscious and perhaps even paranoid, it was unlikely that she would leave the front door unlocked. So either Marie had willingly let someone in through the front door or that's how the killer escaped. Back at police headquarters, Detective Ron Peluso was pressing George, George Altidore for information that could provide a motive for the killings.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Do you owe anyone any money? No. Other than obviously your mortgage and payments and cars. So there's no one out there that you owe a sum of money to? Have you borrowed any money from anyone, let's say in the last 10 years or so? No large sums other than mortgages? No. I have my sister when I was purchasing the house that she borrows some money on her credit card that, you know, that I'm paying. But I would consider that this is my sister because she take every day, every month she give her the bill and I send the payment. And you told me before you haven't been involved with any illegal activity? No, Absolutely. Never ever.

[David Shoots]

And George says he can't think of anyone who would target his wife. Marie either. She was friendly and polite to everyone, George tells Peluso, but she never socialized outside of the home or their church.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

And my wife doesn't have any because if you know my wife, anybody who knows us, who knows my wife, will not, you know, will not hurt my wife. Anybody who knows my wife because she doesn't bother anybody, Stenhouse. I don't know anybody that will do something.

[David Shoots]

The interview is nearly over. But before he would release George, Peluso has one more request.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Consented to a GSR test which was conducted at the Miramar Police department at approximately 10:28pm The.

[David Shoots]

GSR or gunshot residue test would have determined if George had recently fired a gun. The results showed that he had not. So the initial questioning of George Altidore ends. As they wrap up, Peluso assures George that the police would do everything they could to find out who killed his family. And he asks George if he has any questions. For the detectives, it's an opportunity for George to ask the investigators for details anything about the murders of his wife, mother in law and and two daughters inside his home. George has one question he asks. Was anything taken from the house? It's impossible to know why. George asked if anything was missing, but it was a question investigators needed to answer. If this was a home invasion robbery, valuables would be missing and there might be signs that doors or windows had been forced to. Investigators already knew that the front door was unlocked. There were also no primarks on the door frame. A back door that led from the pool to the guest bathroom was ajar, but there was no sign of forced entry. None of the windows had been tampered with. One window screen had a tear, but that damage had been done long before the murders. In the living room, the first room inside the front door, nothing had been disturbed. No drawers were open, no cushions overturned, no sign of ransacking. The same was true in the dining room, which had two large hutches that contained silver and crystal. A gold bracelet and earrings were on the table in plain view. In the den, a television and stereo system hadn't been touched. In one guest bedroom, a briefcase was on the floor. It had not been opened or moved. And the same with a nearby suitcase. In another guest room, a satchel ring of keys and jewelry that included gold and clear stones were clearly visible in a partially opened drawer. And then there was George's office. Behind the door were computers and other equipment and many drawers that could have been gone through. Yet the office door was locked, and no attempt had been made to gain access to to the most obvious hiding spot in the house. How would the killer know whether or not there was a fifth person hiding behind that locked door? And why would they not try to get in? Clearly, this wasn't a robbery. The killer, whoever it was, hadn't forced their way into the house and hadn't made any attempt to find or take valuables. In fact, the only things that were missing which investigators were hoping to find in the house were fingerprints or shoe prints that could lead to the killer. Both were mysteriously absent from the scene. In 1997, Forensic Crime Scene investigations were very different than they are today with advanced DNA testing.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Procedures have changed. Back then, the technology today with DNA and swabbing crime scenes, has changed. It wasn't the same back then. You know, you photograph and try to take fingerprints and footprints and things like that, but back then, you just didn't. They didn't swab as much for DNA as they do.

[David Shoots]

Crime scene texts from the Broward Sheriff's office spent hours combing through the Altador home looking for either. Their search transformed the inside of the house. The once white floors and walls were now gray. From one end of the house to the other, fingerprint powder covered every square inch. But Agent Panetta said the search for fingerprints was the first of many disappointments in the case.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

All the fingerprints that they collected was people that were supposed to be at the house. Regardless, the victims and the husband, there was no strange fingerprints anywhere.

[David Shoots]

One fingerprint did eventually surface that didn't match any of the five people who were living in the house. A lone thumbprint on one of the hutches in the dining room where Marie died. It also didn't match any known prints that were stored in the national automated Fingerprint ID system called aphis. Whoever that thumbprint belonged to would remain a mystery for over a year.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

It turned out it was a delivery guy from one of the furniture places. When they delivered the hutch in the. Put a hutch in the glass. Glass shelves, and I guess they put it down, the guy's thumbprint was on there. Well, it turned out you put in an APHIS in the system, and if a person gets arrested, there's a comparison made. It turned out this guy was. Matter of fact, I went to interview him, too. He was in downtown Miami in some old trailer park, and he was actually a delivery man. But that's about the only print that came out of the house.

[David Shoots]

So with no fingerprints offering leads, perhaps more luck could be found in shoe prints. The crime scene was incredibly bloody, and surely the killer would have had to step in it or walk through it. But the detectives were astonished. Not a single bloody footprint, even a partial one, was present.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Where's my footprints with all that blood? Four victims laying all over the place. I gotta have footprint somewhere.

[David Shoots]

There was so much blood that investigators were even able to determine where the killer was standing while delivering blows with the hammer.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Blood was in the ceiling and in the wall behind it. So when they took the hammer and they hit him and they went back, you know, blood goes splashing to the back. Well, it also goes splashing to the body that was there doing the killing. And you can see on the wall that. That part where this person was. There was no blood on the wall, but only on the ceiling and onto the side.

[David Shoots]

Think of it like a shadow cast on the floor and wall behind the killer surrounded by blood splatter.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

So he had blood on him. But still I have no footprints.

[David Shoots]

And there was also blood pooling out onto the tile floor around Teresa's and Marie's bodies. That would have been difficult to avoid. Yet nobody had walked through the pools of blood. There wasn't even evidence that somebody had tried to wipe up footprints. Agent Panetta would eventually discover the answer to that mystery, too. The killer, he determined, was so efficient that they were done before the blood had even pooled. Remember, the killings may have taken as few as 12 seconds, you're going to.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Have these blood spatters from the guy. Want to hit him with the hammer? You have that. But the floor, the blood on the floor didn't happen right away. The blood on the floor came when the body was still alive and the blood was still pumping out of the body. And he was already done hitting them with a hammer, so he already left the residence, and the blood was still coming out of the body. That's where your pool of blood comes from, and that's why you don't have footprints.

[David Shoots]

Simply put, the killer was gone before the pools of blood had even formed. And whoever it was left nothing behind. Five bullets had been fired, but there were no casings found in the house. There was no gun either. Two hammers were found in the home, but they were stored away, and neither had been used in the killings. That left two pieces of evidence at the crime scene that needed explanation. One was a mysterious message that had been scrawled on the wall of the family room. We'll tell you the extraordinary story of the wall in episode five. The other was an enigma at the time and remains one to this day. Outside the house, investigators found items of women's clothing that had recently been strewn across the yard and a black trash bag the clothes seemed to have come from. And what's more troubling is the clothing was all the same size, and none of it would have fit Marie Altidor or her mother, Teresa Laverne. Detectives began asking Marie's family about the clothes, including her cousin Fabiola.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

They had pictures of a bunch of clothes that were on the ground on the side of the house. Just screwed about just like. Like, on the floor, like to make it look like somebody was in a rush, robbing or whatever. And the clothes were just kind of like, scattered on the ground on the side of the house. They were like, well, we do have a question, and we don't know whose clothes these belong to because it wouldn't fit anyone in the house. It's not for the children. It's not for the adults. This has been puzzling us. We found a bunch of clothes, and it doesn't seem to belong to anyone.

[David Shoots]

Fabiola looked at the photos detectives showed her and knew exactly who the clothing belonged to.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

And that's when I realized that those were my clothes.

[David Shoots]

She had brought them to the Altidor house in the trash bag a week or two before the murders.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

It was clothes that I'd given to my aunt to bring to the countryside. You know, she always took down a barrel of clothes to give to the poor in Haiti.

[David Shoots]

Why had the bag of Fabiola's clothing been taken out back and thrown into the yard? Nothing else in the Altador house was out of place. Investigators would never uncover the significance of the clothing and they remain an unresolved mystery today. Some crimes are like puzzles with just a few large pieces that come together to form an obvious picture. Not the Altidor case. The many tiny pieces in this investigation weren't coming together. So detectives turn to something less time. They begin piecing together the final hours of the lives of Teresa Marie, Samantha and Sabrina. And they find enough answers to take a big leap in the investigation. On the next episode of Felonious the Altidor Massacre.

[Detective Ron Peluzzo]

Felt like I was having an out of body experience that day. If you were looking at her casket from a distance, it looked like she was in her casket with a baby doll. That's something I'll never leave you. My aunt would never go to bed with dishes in the sink and dinner not put away in the fridge. She didn't look like herself. Why was the house cleaned so quickly? And mirror my position allowed it to happen. The car was dead. We couldn't get a crank out. Even if mommy wanted to leave, she would not have been able to leave the house that night. They believe that he is. If he isn't the suspect, he is one of the suspects. He's primary suspect. He's definitely the guy who has to be looked at.

[David Shoots]

Thank you for listening to this episode of Felonious Florida, the Altidor Massacre. If you have information about this crime or any others we've covered in this series, please call Crime Stoppers at 954493 TIPS. That's 954493 TIPS. You can read more about the Altidor murders and see photos and videos online@melonious florida.com and be sure to follow us on social media for updates. Felonious Florida is is a production of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in association with Wondery. This season was reported and written by me. David shoots. Sean Pitts is our sound designer. Editing by Robin Webb. Original theme music composed by Brian Sanishin, cover art by John DeLuca and website design by Carbell Multimedia. Gretchen Day Bryant is our executive editor. Felonious Florida was created by Lisa Arthur and Juan Ortega. Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements, or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsynads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.