A dead woman and two Capuchin monkeys were discovered in a motel room. The woman identified as Linda Marie Smith was found in a Budget Inn room in Florida with the live animals still in crates along with a mysterious note.
A Dead woman and two Capuchin monkeys were found in a hotel room in Florida this week, and thus far the police have no idea what happened despite the fact that they questioned a man, who was also in the room.
On Friday at 1:30 p.m., North Port Police announced they were investigating the suspicious death of Linda Marie Smith, whose body was found in a Budget Inn room in North Point at 14000 Tamiami Trail. Authorities revealed that there were two Capuchin monkeys alive, well, and still inside their crates.
While searching the room, authorities found a mysterious note and have declined to reveal its content. According to the police, Smith was 59 and lived in Arcadia. Officials have also said that it appears that there was no sign of trauma to Smith’s body. The cause of death is undetermined at this time, and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy in the upcoming days.
At around 2 PM, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed the Capuchin monkeys from the room. Robert Klepper, an FWC spokesman, shared that Capuchin monkeys are considered exotic pets and revealed where the animals are being kept. He said:
“Normal protocol would be to place them with a licensed permit holder. But I cannot speculate as to whether that’s happened yet.”
According to experts, Capuchin monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys, and they mainly live in Central and South America. Capuchins are often black, brown, buff or whitish, and they can reach a length of 30 to 56 cm. Capuchin monkeys are intelligent and easy to train, and they are used to help people, who are quadriplegics in many countries.
In Florida, a person must complete 1,000 hours of training and provide two letters of reference before obtaining a permit to own a Capuchin monkey. In 2015, there were 45 licensed Capuchin monkey owners in the Sunshine State.
An unnamed man was also found in the hotel room. He was incoherent and fought with police. The man received medical attention, and investigators intend to question him further. His identity was not released to the media. Josh Taylor, from the North Port Police, added:
“We have taken him in for questioning in hopes that he will answer some of the questions of why these folks were here, why this situation came to be.”
Police said they were treating the death as suspicious. However, the man has not been charged with any crime.
Last update of the evening. pic.twitter.com/FfoqomczLL
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) January 29, 2016
Investigation continues into suspicious death at Budget Inn. 1 death, 1 person being questioned. 2 monkeys being removed from room by FWC
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) January 29, 2016
Capuchin monkeys removed from room. In good hands. pic.twitter.com/nllRD3w7kQ
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) January 29, 2016
NPPD is currently investigating a suspicious death at the Budget Inn at 14000 Tamiami Trl. Updates when available. pic.twitter.com/eVtgtjNKUj
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) January 29, 2016
