Coral Springs Police Detectives with the assistance of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, have solved the 23 year old homicide case of Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse.
On November 27, 1990 at approximately 0051 hours, a call came into the Coral Springs Police Department that there was a young female lying on the side of the street at the 200 block of 122nd Avenue. When officers responded they found Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse deceased, with ligature marks on both wrists and ankles and brown packing tape was found stuck in her hair.
The victim Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse, 20, of Sunrise, had been reported missing on November 26, 1990, by her husband after not returning home from work at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise. The victim’s vehicle was found in the parking lot of the Sawgrass Mills Mall with two of the tires slashed.
The Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be asphyxia and the manner was homicide. DNA swabs were obtained from the victim’s body as part of a rape kit. At the time of the incident the crime lab could not find evidence to connect a suspect to the crime. In August 2013, Detectives Brian Koenig and Dan Cucchi, of the Coral Springs Police Department, were assigned the cold case homicide of Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse, and began meticulously reviewing the case. After looking at all the evidence they coordinated with the Broward Sherrif’s Office Crime Lab to have the DNA evidence tested again, due to all of the advances in technology. On February 5, 2014 detectives received notification that they were able to obtain a positive suspect DNA profile from the evidence submitted. The suspect was identified as Oba Chandler (DOB 10/11/46).
Oba Chandler was convicted of killing Joan Rodgers and her two daughters in 1989, in St. Petersberg, Florida. The Rodgers family homicides took place in 1989, however Chandler was not arrested until 1992 in connection with the crime. At the time Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse was murdered, Chandler was living in Sunrise, Florida, just 1.5 miles from the Sawgrass Mills Mall, where Ivelisse was last seen alive.
In November 2011, Chandler was executed via lethal injection, by the State of Florida, for the Rodger’s murders. If not for Chandler’s execution, he would be arrested and charged with the murder of Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse.
Due to the persistent efforts of Coral Springs Police Detectives and assistance of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab the cold case of Ivelisse Berrios Beguerisse was able to be solved.
Coral Springs Connection 