Devora Howard drowned but police are no closer to how
Devora Howard’s drowning death remains a mystery despite an autopsy, which has left police even more baffled.
Central Coast
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The mysterious death of Devora Howard has become a cold case to rival any on the popular crime drama CSI with an autopsy ruling out suicide.
Police now have to await the results of toxicology tests before they can learn more about how the popular 56-year-old’s body came to be floating in water about 250m north of the Terrigal boat ramp.
Detectives have been inundated with CCTV footage from people’s homes and council cameras installed around Terrigal.
They hope to have analysed much of that content by the end of today as detectives try to piece together Ms Howard’s final movements between when she was last seen by a neighbour standing on the balcony of her Wamberal home at 10pm on Monday last week and when she was pulled from the water by fishermen at 7.15am the following day.
The autopsy found Ms Howard drowned but police remain baffled as to whether she met with misadventure or if her death was suspicious.
Police have also confirmed they have no suspects.
Outwardly Ms Howard had the “perfect life” but in the days following her death details have emerged of her private life including the recent break down of her marriage of three years to Peter Howard and a hard partying lifestyle.
It comes as police divers are expected to return to Terrigal and Wamberal beaches to test ocean currents, swell direction and rips to try and determine how long she had been in the water.
Terrigal-based personal trainer Jordan Green found Ms Howard’s beloved Doberman Harvey pining at the water’s edge at Wamberal, an hour and a half before her body was found a few hundred metres south near The Haven.
He arrived at 5.40am to conduct a training session.
“When I got there, I found the ladies’ dog on the beach but couldn’t see anyone else around,” he told the Express Advocate last week.
“I knew something was not quite right when the dog was on the shore and barking and looking out to the water. He was distressed. He had his lead on and there was a bumbag on the sand.”
Following his training session he rang police and took Harvey home after finding the dog’s address on his tag.
Ms Howard was found dressed in the same white jeans she was seen wearing the night before but her grey jumper was missing.
Police divers have already scoured Terrigal Lagoon while general duties offices have searched the shoreline and rocks around Terrigal Skillion but the jumper has never been recovered.
Police are urging any members of the public who discover the jumper to come forward.
“If only the dog could talk,” a source close to the investigation said.
Ms Howard’s sister Karen Wardle Bacic meanwhile has posted of her family’s heartbreak on social media.
“She was gorgeous inside and out, and just wanted to help everyone,” she wrote.
“We don’t know what happened to her either? She was happy, vibrant and healthy now she’s gone.”