Crime & Safety

Wife of 'Missing' Massapequa Man Claims He Made Plans Before Disappearing

Raymond Roth accused of draining account and changing life insurance policy before disappearance.

The wife of the man who was on Saturday but turned up alive in Florida, says she discovered emails which indicate he was planning his disappearance.

Evana Roth told a packed news conference at her lawyer's office in Carle Place that she thought her husband was dead after authorities searched the beach for hours and found no sign of Massapequa resident Raymond Roth.

"I was planning for a funeral," she said. "I lost my husband."

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But she later discovered that her stepson and his father had communicated by email on Friday just before the disappearance.

"Jonathan, there needs to be a way for me to find out how things are going," Roth wrote to his son from a previous marriage in one of the emails, which were given to the media. "Call me Sunday at 8 p.m. at the resort."  

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The wife believes he was staying at a resort in Florida until Wednesday when Roth's brother contacted police to say he was alive.  

The  police have said.

In another email, Roth writes: "I need to get to the bank for cash for the trip." The email also makes mention of jewelry and orders the stepson to tell his uncle Bob, "You just noticed that there was an envelope with Uncle Bob's name on it. (the last Will and Testemnet) (sic) then hand it to him." 

Roth also writes, "DO NOT allow that a--hole to give the house away," a comment that Evana Roth believes was directed at her.

The wife's lawyer, Lenard Leeds, said she had contacted him shortly after the reported disappearance to handle her husband's estate and consider a possible wrongful death suit.

But after Evana discovered the emails, "She frantically called me and said, 'I think he's alive,'" Leeds said.

Leeds said of his client, "I think she's an abused woman from what she tells me," and said her client may have bullied her into selling their house.

"He demanded that she transfer the house to him, which had been her separate property prior to the marriage," he said.

The lawyer also provided bank receipts which indicated Roth made $1,900 worth of withdrawals the day before the disappearance. Leeds said that he's learned that Roth also tripled the amount of money his life insurance paid out, but the beneficiary was not immediately known. 

Roth had lost his job a week prior to the disappearance and the wife was asked not to return to work, Leeds said.

Evana Roth also said that her husband has been calling and texting her and did so as late as Friday morning.

"Evana what is going on?" he wrote in a text, according to Leeds. "I just heard you're having a press conference tomorrow. Be nice."

The wife said she interpreted Roth's request to "be nice," as a threat meaning, "Don't talk against me."

The wife said that some of Roth's clothes, his shoes and his wallet were left on the beach Saturday. The items were displayed at the press conference.

The wife apologized to all the rescue workers who went out searching for Ross on Saturday saying, "I feel a sadness that he put a lot of people in danger to look for him."

New York State Park Police have been investigating the case since Saturday, while a Nassau County police spokeswoman would not comment.

The Nassau County District Attorney's Office issued a statement saying, "The DA’s office is collaborating with police investigating this matter. The investigation is ongoing and no decision has been made as to whether criminal charges will be filed."


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