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20th anniversary of Ruth Haut murder: Cops suspect killer lives in Osceola or Indian RiverKISSIMMEE, Feb 27, 2012 (The Orlando Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Ruth Haut's killer left a puzzle of jumbled clues 20 years ago. Hours after abducting the chiropractor from her Kissimmee office, the killer dumped her body the next morning in an orange grove on the outskirts of what's now called Harmony in east Osceola County. First, Haut, then 42, disappeared on the evening of Feb. 27, 1992, when she waited to treat a phantom patient who didn't exist. Second, the office phone line had been cut without signs of a struggle. And her ATM card was used hours later -- 90 miles away in Vero Beach. The person using the card wore a tightly noosed sweatshirt hoodie to cover his or her features. A NASA enhancement of the ATM photo narrowed the search to a slightly built man or woman no bigger than 5-feet, 6-inches tall who drove a red pickup. The round-trip to Vero Beach took at least 3 hours and investigators at the time said without explaining that Haut likely was taken on the drive and killed upon her return. On the 20th anniversary of the killing Monday, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced the killer is thought to be a white man, now in his mid-40s, who "uses charm as a form of manipulation." Investigators believe he still lives in Osceola County or Indian River County, the site of the ATM in Vero Beach, according to spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain. The killer stabbed Haut 11 times. Found next to her body was a bloody shirt -- the same shirt that was worn unstained over the hoodie in the ATM photo. It could not be learned Monday if the shirt has been tested for DNA. Anyone with knowledge about the killing is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-8477, which is offering a $5,000 reward. [email protected] or 407-420-5257 ___ (c)2012 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |