Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - MOM BLAMES DAUGHTER-IN-LAW for Grown Son's Stab Death on Florida Vacay

Episode Date: November 10, 2023

David and Cindy Rainey rent a cottage for the weekend along a canal in Suwanee, Florida, 140 miles from home. The couple's two adult sons, Bailey and Jack, plus a family friend,  join them for the weekend getaway. On Saturday, David walks away from the home and doesn’t come back.    Cindy and David Rainey reportedly got into an argument. David left, walking out of the house. He left his glasses, wallet, and cellphone behind in their rental home. The next morning,  David still hadn’t returned. Cindy calls the police. An extensive search ensues and continues throughout the day without success. It wasn't until early evening that same day, that deputies found David Rainey’s body submerged in the canal in the backyard of the rental house. He had been stabbed multiple times in the chest and was still in the same clothes he was last seen wearing. Police say the body was placed in the water after death. David Rainey's death was ruled a homicide. It’s been more than two years since David Rainey’s body was found submerged in water and stabbed to death. Police have no suspects in the murder, but that doesn’t mean they’ve not made an arrest. The Dixie County Sheriff's office says three of David Rainey’s family members have been arrested. David Rainey's wife and two sons are all charged with tampering with evidence, apparently related to the dumping of Rainey’s body in the canal after he was stabbed. Investigators with the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Bunnell, Florida, and arrested Cindy Rainey and Bailey Rainey, then traveled to Orlando, Florida, and arrested Jack Rainey. Cindy Rainey, Bailey Rainey, and Jack Rainey are being held without bond. In Florida, tampering with evidence is counted as a third-degree felony, with penalties of up to 5 years in prison, or 5 years of probation and a $5,000 fine.  Police still have not released a suspect or a possible motive for Rainey's murder. Joining Nancy Grace Today:  Kelly Hyman – Trial & Civil Attorney (Miami, FL), TV Legal Analyst, & Author: “Build Back Better;” Podcast Host: “Once Upon a Crime In Hollywood;” Twitter: @kellyhyman1/TikTok: @kelly.hyman/Instagram: @Kelly_Hyman1  Caryn L. Stark - Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Pat Diaz - Former Miami Dade Police Homicide Detective, Private Investigator in South Florida Dr. Jan Gorniak - Board-certified Forensic Pathologist, Former Medical Examiner for Clark County (Las Vegas, NV)  Jen Smith -  Chief Reporter for DailyMail.com; Twitter: @jen_e_smith  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. He goes on a relaxing vacation with his family to Florida and he comes home in a box, dead. How did that happen? I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Crime Stories and on Sirius XM 111. First of all, take a listen to this. Deputies from the Dixie County Sheriff's Office show up at the rental home and an extensive search begins with family members joining deputies. Hours pass as the search covers the canal behind the home and nearby do search begins with family members joining deputies. Hours pass

as the search covers the canal behind the home and nearby docks and boathouses. David Rainey cannot be found. In the early evening hours, deputies decide to go back to the canal and look one last time. It is during this last look they see the body of David Rainey submerged in the water of the canal behind the house. He's been stabbed multiple times in the chest. Multiple stab wounds in the chest and then submerged in water. Wow. They didn't just kill him once. They killed him at least two times over. I've got an all-star panel to make sense of what we know right now. But before I get into other details regarding the stabbing death, or was it a drowning death? Don't know yet. Before I get into the details about how this guy goes on a family vacation and ends up

stabbed multiple times, submerged in water in a canal. What? A family vacation. I'm thinking about my family vacations. Let's see. My husband and I took the children on an RV trip across the country from Atlanta to Nashville to St. Louis to all the way to the Tetons and Yellowstone. Nobody ended up stabbed dead, submerged in water.

Thinking about trips I took with my parents. We'd go away for one weekend and be on vacation to Gatlinburg to see the mountains, the Smoky Mountains. This is so bizarre. You go on vacation with your family and you end up dead. It's not like you're going to some far-flung location where you're completely out of touch with your family and friends back home, let's say around the world. You're not going on an African safari where you could actually be eaten by a lion on vacation. You're not doing a daredevil vacation where you climb to the top of Mount Fuji. This is just a family vacation to the beach. He doesn't drown. He doesn't suffer a death you may associate with going to the beach.

He ends up stabbed and submerged in a canal. What happens on vacation? Do you let your defenses down and you don't notice when somebody's sneaking up behind you? Is that what happened? Again, with me, an all-star panel to make sense of what we know. But first, I want to go to a special guest, Dr. Jan Gorniak. I love this woman. She's brilliant. That's why I love her. Dr. Jan Gorniak, board-certified forensic pathologist, former medical examiner in Clark County. You know what Clark County is, right? Vegas. Never a lack of business for the medical examiner in Vegas. Dr. Gorniak, thank you for being with us. This guy, this dad, this husband doesn't get killed once. He gets killed at least twice over. I won't know until I see an x-ray if you got a blow to the head as well.

But how do you determine in a case like this where the dad is minding his own business, driving his family to vacation, is stabbed multiple times, but yet submerged in a canal? How do you determine what's the real COD? How do I know he wasn't poisoned first? That's an excellent question. So a case like this with so many possible causes of death, obviously, we have to gather as much information as we can. And then plus do a thorough, thorough, thorough autopsy. And then also thorough, thorough, thorough medical history. Gather everything we can.

But obviously, when we see somebody with multiple stab wounds of their chest, that's not a natural death. So it's not his high blood pressure or his diabetes that killed him. But they probably didn't know he had those stab wounds until he came out of the water. Oh, wait a minute. That's something I didn't know. Let me think about, I mean, unless the knife is still plunged in his chest like it is for Ellen Greenberg, she's found with 20plus stab wounds and a knife still in her chest. You're so right. I didn't even think about that aspect. Dr. Gorniak, Dr. Jan Gorniak.

So you're right. They pull him out of the water submerged. Surely all the blood has been washed away. They may not even know he's been stabbed until they get him on the autopsy table. Wow. Correct, sir. Yeah, So obviously the body stays in the water and they have to call out the medical examiner, you know, coroner to come and do the investigation. So it was probably called in as a possible drowning because he's in water. And then surprise, like you said, even at the scene, because obviously, hopefully he has clothes on. So you may not even have seen wounds until you get back to the morgue and to start the autopsy.

And then you're just like, obviously, this is more than a drowning. So depending on, you have to look at the stab wounds and what internal injuries does he have to determine which came first. Was it the stab wounds or was he drowned? But it makes more sense that he was drowned and then put, I mean, stabbed and then put in the water. So, but what's the cause of death? Depending on the injury that we see, are there injuries to his lungs? Are there injuries to his heart? And he lost a lot of blood.

And then drowning, what we call the diagnosis of exclusion. So we have to exclude everything. I need to write that down, Dr. Gorniak. Drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion. Is that what you just said? Correct. So that means we have to exclude every other possible cause of the death before we can say it's drowning. And then there are soft signs. We call soft signs of drowning. Are the lungs filled with water? If someone knew that water in their stomach, do they swallow water? Um, we also looked to see if there's water in the sinuses in the head.

So, but based on these injuries, it appears that the cause of death was the stab wounds and then he was put in the water afterwards. So I'm going to be confident in the medical examiner and forensic pathologist who did the autopsy that they didn't see anything associated with drowning. He just happened to be found in the water. So, OK, Dr. Gorniak, Dr. Jan Gorniak, joining me, renowned pathologist, former medical examiner. You said you look for soft signs. Guys, the first thing we've got to do is determine, if we can, COD, cause of death. Let me think this through, you know, just a trial lawyer. So you get the body.

They find the body submerged in water in a canal. They may not have known at that time when they fish him out that he has been stabbed. They may not know if there are blunt force injuries to the head. There may be subdural bleeding, bleeding to the brain. They don't know any of that. They get him to the crime lab. And yes, I believe he was clothed. That's when they most likely realize this guy's been stabbed multiple times in the chest, at least. So I thought, okay, you're saying soft signs of drowning water in the lungs, the stomach, sinuses, head. When you say head, do you mean in the sinuses that are in the head? Yes, correct, the sinuses in the head.

Okay. So we can see there's water there. But it doesn't mean, but also, like I said, it's an exclusion. So just because we don't see that doesn't mean it wasn't a drowning. But we have to put all the pieces together. So, but I would think either way. We also call it, you know, a death in a hostile environment. Even if there was partly some things of browning, he died from stab wounds.

He just happened to be in the water. What do you do? Take the lungs out of the body and then you what? Put them in water and see if they float. How do you determine if the lungs are full of water? Okay, great question. So the lungs are going to float anyway because there's going to be air in the lungs because that's how we breathe. So lungs are going to float anyway, because there's going to be air in the lungs, because that's how we breathe. So those are going to float regardless, but we weigh them.

So sometimes the lungs get heavy because they're filled with water. And then also when we cut, cut into the lungs, we can see water coming out. Oh, okay. Wait, whoa, I gotta write that down. You cut into the lungs and if water comes out now Now, OK, then is there any way water can be in the lungs if you're dead before you go in the water? No. So the thing is, well, let me back up a little bit. So people don't die instantaneously. So what happens is people, they start to, you know, they're in the process of dying. That means their breathing is slowing

down. So when your breathing slows down and you're not breathing adequately, you can get fluid built up in your lungs. So that's kind of like the same fluid that I'm talking about. But we can actually, like I said, if people, you know, inhale water, it'll be much more than that process of dying. So unless, okay, if you're dead, when you go in the water, if you're already dead, let's just say from stab wounds, your lungs don't get water in them. The water doesn't somehow seep into them. Correct. Okay. So you have to inhale the water for there to be water in your lungs. Okay, guys, we're finally getting somewhere. We're finally figuring out a little bit, thanks to Dr. Jan Gorniak.

Hey, you know what, Jackie, could you play that one more time? I want to make sure I got every word of that. One more time, please. Deputies from the Dixie County Sheriff's Office show up at the rental home, and an extensive search begins with family members joining deputies. Hours pass as the search covers the canal behind the home and nearby do search begins with family members joining deputies. Hours pass as the search covers the canal behind the home and nearby docks and boathouses. David Rainey cannot be found. In the early evening hours, deputies decide to go back to the canal and look one last

time. It is during this last look they see the body of David Rainey submerged in the water of the canal behind the house. He's been stabbed multiple times in the chest. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Okay, this is in Suwannee, Florida. And I want to make sure about something. Dr. Gorniak, Jan Smith, hold on. Chief investigative reporter with DailyMail.com. That's where I first found out about this case. Dr. Gorniak, this is Florida.

All right. How do I know it's stab wounds and not a gator? Don't laugh. Because did I tell you what happened with my son and daughter? We were at Disney right outside the Floridian. This was years ago. They were only about oh gosh it was during Tot Mom. They had to be like three years old and we were playing by the water and I let John David go out in the water up to his knees to throw rocks. David, my husband, who has done a lot of business in Florida with his job, said, get him out of the water right now. And I'm like, no,

don't tell me what to do. Number one. And he went, there are gators. I'm like, there are no gators. This is Disney. Nothing bad happens at Disney. He like, get him out. I'm like, okay, I'll get him out, but I'm only doing it because you're crazy. I'm not doing it because there's a gator. Guess what? Like, it was less than a year later, I think that timing is right, a gator grabbed a little kid in Disney. So how do I know this is from stab wounds and not a gator?

Well, first of all, the gator would have eaten him. But that said, how do you tell the wounds apart? Once again, you have fantastic questions. We have to look at the characteristics of the wounds. I bet you didn't think I was going to ask you about a gator bite, did you? I did not. I did not. Maybe a turtle, but not a gator. So we do have to, like when people are found in water, there could be some animals in the water that will you know eat on the body so the difference we can tell the difference between a anti-mortem or pre before death and post-mortem wounds just because your body has to react to it you mean blade yeah

like bleed or some swelling and so and you're absolutely right if this was a gator bite i don't think we would have found him. I'm not sure they're just going to bite and then leave. But we could look at characteristics of the wounds, and that way we can tell the difference between, you know, and then where they are. You know what I mean? It would be difficult for a gator just to get, like, top teeth into the chest. It's not going all the way through the body. Maybe the arm, you know,

you can chomp on the arm. I'm sorry to say that, but it'd be difficult just to have wound on the top of the body and nowhere else if it was a gator bite. Okay. Dr. Gorniak, I'm subjecting you to the same things I subjected medical examiners to when I was trying cases, all sorts of questions that may be completely irrelevant. But if you listen to all of them, you finally start honing in on the real COD, the real cause of death. Now, who? This guy didn't stab himself. Take a listen to our friends at CrimeOnline.com. After a lifetime of living on the Atlantic side of Florida and Palm Coast, David and Cindy decide it's time to see how the other half lives along the west coast of Florida.

They rent a cottage for the weekend along a canal in Suwannee, Florida, 140 miles from home. Now young adults, the Rainey sons, Bailey and Jack, plus a family friend, Jeffrey Sawyer, join them for the weekend getaway. But on Saturday, David walks away from the home and doesn't come back. Okay, let me talk to you about the West Coast and the East Coast of Florida. So they live on the Atlantic side, and that would be the East Coast of Florida, and they want to go over to the West Coast. Now, with me, and she's used to answering questions in court, Kelly Hyman, a renowned lawyer joining us out of Florida.

She's also a TV legal analyst. She's the host of Once Upon a Crime in Hollywood, which I love Once Upon a Crime in Hollywood. Kelly Hyman, the difference between the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast, it's like on the Gulf of Mexico, and that water is much warmer and the beaches are different. They're more like sugar white beaches on the west coast of Florida. Am I getting this bass backwards or am I right? And it's an even milder temperature. That is 100% right. Absolutely. The water is a different temperature and the beaches are different texture as well. You're spot on, Nancy. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. And this is how I know that. My dad was from a little town, Haycote, Alabama, which is near Enterprise, which is near Mobile. That's how you know where Haycote is. I think that's an Indian name. But long story short, he grew up on the Panhandle and we would go there as children. It's the first time I ever saw the ocean and it is amazing. So they want to go over and as our

friend at Crime Online said, see how the other half live on the other side of the state. So they go over and I'm not quite sure how this guy who's there with his family ends up dead. Joining me right now, chief investigative reporter with DailyMail.com. Jen, when I first found out about David Rainey's murder, I found out because I saw a blurb, a little blip on Daily Mail. Tell me about them getting there. And I've seen this. You you're on the water your rental home you know like an airbnb it's on the water but it's canal water you're not on the the um beach they have canals dug and people the big enough to take boats back and forth they have docks and you can be right on that canal and it's really nice. So I'm taking it. That's where the rental was? Correct. Yeah. So the rainy family already were living,

you know, by the beach, Palm Coast, very beachy sort of town. They were enjoying that kind of Atlantic coastal lifestyle. And they wanted to, as our friend said, check out how the other half lived. So they go to this town in Suwannee, from Dixie County, it's kind of halfway between sort of Gainesville and the rest of the Panhandle. And they rent a vacation house for the weekend

that at the back of the yard, the very rear of the backyard, there is this canal, which, you know, flows through many of the homes there. It's meant to be this kind of idyllic setting for vacationing. So David Rainey goes with his wife, Cindy, their two sons, who are young adults, and this family friend. And the plan was to go for, you know, a relaxing weekend in a different part of their beloved state. And of course, completely showered in

sunshine. It's beautiful. And out of the blue, in the midst of a vacation, he ends up stabbed dead and in the canal. Karen Stark is with me, a renowned psychologist. I know you've heard of her before on TV, on radio. She's a consultant as well. You can find her at karenstark.com. That's Karen with a C. Karen, you know, I talked to you before I wrote my last book, Don't Be a Victim, about how when you go on vacation, you seemingly let your guard down a little bit because in your mind, you're away from all the stress. You're away from all the danger, the pressure of regular life, and everything's going to be fine. Like I was just talking about Disney. I think you let your guard down a little bit when you're on vacation.

To what do you, first of all, do you agree? And second, to what do you attribute that? Yes, I agree with what you said, Nancy. I do believe that you let your guard down. I think it's because you're much more relaxed. And it's not your everyday situation where you might be more cautious. You're not aware of your surroundings. But what's very odd to me about this particular story is that he left and he left behind things that you would normally under any circumstances not leave, like his wallet, his glasses. I mean, that is not just being relaxed. That's not being prepared for anything.

It's not being you, if you understand what I mean. It's not yourself. It's not what you would normally do. It's not your habit. Well, I don't know if I was going out for a stroll, if I would take all of that. I don't take my keys and my wallet. You take your glasses. I may depend. You say glasses? It depends on if I'm short-sighted or far-sighted or if they're reading glasses. I'm not planning on reading a manifesto when I'm taking a walk or a jog. So I don't know. I don't know if I agree with you or not. But I do find it odd he didn't have his cell phone because that's something almost everybody takes everywhere they go.

So you're right about that, Karen Stark. So what do we know in addition to what Jan Smith from DailyMail.com is telling us? Take a listen to our friends at Crime Online. David walking out of the house, left his glasses, wallet, and cell phone behind in their rental home. David still hadn't returned. Cindy calls police, an extensive search ensues and continues throughout the day without success. It wasn't until early evening that same day that deputies found David Rainey's body, submerged in the canal in the backyard of the rental house. He's been stabbed multiple times in the chest

and was still in the same clothes he was last seen wearing. Police say the body was placed in the water after death. David Rainey's death is ruled a homicide, but his obituary says simply that he passed away unexpectedly. I don't know if I fought the family with that. Who wants the final article on your life to be you were murdered? Maybe they wanted it to, didn't want the whole world to know that he was murdered. Also joining me right now, special guest, Pat Diaz, former Miami-Dade police homicide detective, now private investigator in Florida. And you can find him at SouthFLPi.com.

SouthFLPi.com. Pat Diaz, why didn't they find him the first time they went to search? I don't know that they even looked in the canal, but why do you believe they didn't see him the first time they went? Well, this case is interesting, and I'll tell you why. Palm Coast is a busy area of Florida. Their vacation in Dixie County is a small community. The sheriff's department is not real large. So you don't have experienced investigators out there do i think he left his house and took a walk no what i think happened is because of the heat in

florida i've had many cases where people have been stabbed and then dumped in the canal initially he went to the bottom but as the day got hotter and hotter, that's when he surfaced. That's why initially the family says, well, when they did that initial search, they can't find them. But later on in the day, as the heat grew, I think he came to the surface. And like I said, we're going to a sheriff's office that may not have the expertise. Like, you know, we have 5,000 men in

Miami-Dade where a homicide unit comes out. So they may not have been able to search the canal with boats or have divers come out. But that would have been the first place you check is with a diver is you check the canal. Wow. You know what, Pat Diaz? I'm so glad you said that because the Palm County sheriffs and the police have been taking a black eye on that. I've got a lot of confidence in them, even though they're a small outfit that they looked out in the canal. They saw nothing. And at that juncture, didn't realize that they needed to dredge the canal or send down divers. And you're absolutely right. To Dr. Jan Gorniak joining us from Clark County, the Vegas jurisdiction, Dr. Gorniak, he's right. The body would then begin to build up gases and

float. So for me, he wasn't in the water that long, correct? We don't know. I think he was in the water all day because I think the search, they searched earlier and then they found him later that evening. Well, he may have been in the water since the day before when he left the house. Because it wasn't

until the next morning that he was reported missing. So he could have been in the water, you know, 36 hours before his body started to float.

And that's true. But it seems like a, that's possible. And one, I don't know how deep this canal is. Deep enough for watercraft. Watercraft can go back and forth in the canal. Most canals of Florida run 15 to 20 feet deep. They're pretty deep. And it's fresh water.

So that could explain why he wasn't seen immediately. Okay, guys, listen to this. The Dixie County Sheriff's Office asked the public for help. There were no leads. And the only thing police know for sure is that the death was a homicide. There were also no suspects and no leads coming in. Police also didn't have a potential motive. Okay, that's a little known secret. Pat Diaz, joining me, former Miami-Dade homicide detective. When the cops have to ask the public, make a public appeal for tips, they're stumped. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I think there's everything right with it. I'm glad they did it. But when you hear

cops saying, hey, if you've seen anything, if you know anything, if you think you know anything, dial this number. That means they need help and they're doing the right thing. Would you agree with that, Pat Diaz? They're stumped. No leads, no motive, no nothing. Absolutely. What they have, they have a house and they have a missing witness. So yes, they're looking for that lead with about that person that we nobody ever talks about is gone. But you also have the house. And to do a correct financial on the house, it takes a while. So they're going to look for other leads to help them. So, yes, that's the correct thing to do.

Of course, you look at the house for clues. You look at the phone. You look at the laptop. You look at social media. You look at calls, texts. All of that reveals nothing. And now they're making a public appeal. So who is this guy? Is there anything in his past that could tell me what

happened to him? Because, you know, I always say, if you don't know a horse, look at his track record. Is there anything lurking in his past that could put us on the right direction? Listen. David Brainy was a very good athlete in his youth. He had a passion for playing sports, and that was passed on to his own children with his wife Cindy. The couple was married for 21 years. The Rainey family traveled with sons Bailey and Jack in their baseball teams, making trips to Alaska, Cooperstown, even the White House.

Rainey earns a living as a tradesman. After attending Schenectady Welding School in New York, Rainey specialized, becoming a welder and mechanic on steam and gas turbines. His expertise led him to work for well-known companies, including Corona Engineering, Siemens, and Ethos Energy. During the lifetime of his career, Rainey worked all over the country, from California to Florida. Okay, did you hear what Dave Mack just said?

This guy has ties in New York. Got ties in Synecdoche. He's worked all around the country. He has connections all around the country. So that really opens up the investigation. So what does the family do? They are actually out helping search for their father, for their husband. They're not just sitting back. They're trying to find him. Listen to more. Five days after their father was stabbed to death and his body tossed into a canal,

the sons of David Rainey started a GoFundMe page. The organizer of the fundraiser is Bailey Jack Rainey. And in the log line where you explain the reason you're asking people to give you money, Bailey Jack Rainey wrote, in lieu of flowers, in the loving remembrance of David's life, the family asked that a charitable donation be made to his sons, Bailey and Jack, for their future. Thank you and God bless. It raised just $475. $475. Wait, okay, that's not a lot of money. Is that right, Jen Smith?

They do GoFundMe. When I look at GoFundMe online, they're raising tens of thousands of dollars. They only got $475. Wait, wait. How old are the sons? Old enough to know better. These are young adults. They are done with school.

They do not need any more help in the education department. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. How old are these two sons that are hitting me up for money on GoFundMe? In their early 20s. 19 and 21. Is that you, Pat Diaz? Did somebody just say 19 and 21? That was me. Okay, that's Pat Diaz. I recognize your voice. Jim Smith, is he right? Are they 19 and 21 and they are asking for money, quote, for their future their future correct how about get a job how about secure your future like that i had to start working when i was 15 what okay jen smith explain the gofundme to me so the two boys launched this gofundme the mother's boys one's in his 20s the

sons the two sons then the two sons launch this goundMe within you know five days of their dad's brutal murder when it's still unsolved and yeah they're they're asking for money for their future they don't specify if it's because they want you know help to learn a specific trade or if one of them wants to go to college to do this or if one of them has a medical bill that needs paying none of that is provided in the way that it normally would be on a GoFundMe, you know, for a family in need. And like you mentioned, Wait a minute, what did you just say a family in need? Hey, don't scam me, Jen Smith, family in need, my rear end, they're at a Airbnb on a canal by the beach in Florida. That ain't cheap.

No, that's not what I'm not calling them a family in need. I'm saying it's quite common for a GoFundMe page to be launched for a family in need when they are struck by tragedy like the ones you just mentioned that raised tens of thousands of dollars. But clearly, this is not a family in need. These are not young adults who need anything from the public. And, you know, the fact that they launched it within five days of their father's unsolved murder, it raises even more questions. You know, I think that, Karen Stark, you lived through this with me. I think that one of the worst days of my life was when I had to sit at the kitchen table at home in Macon and work on my father's obituary. I hate even remembering it.

And now these two are trying to get money off of GoFundMe. They're 19 and 21 years old to secure their future. I just, of course, nobody's on trial. Nobody's charged with soliciting funds from generous and open hearts but you know what karen start i'm sure a defense attorney will say that means absolutely nothing but it means something to me karen yes nancy it means something to you but this is such a very strange i mean i've been a part of what's going on in your life this is very very strange case though. I mean, I don't understand. I don't understand the GoFundMe for these adults, the almost adults, really adult guys. I don't understand an argument where he walks off, whether it's he didn't bring his glasses or his cell phone.

There is something really wrong in this tale that the police didn't find him that it's it's very strange and unusual that you have a situation like this and this money motive this thread and now is woven even more so take a listen to investigative reporter dave mack a surprising twist in the unsolved murder of David Rainey is a lawsuit filed by his mother. Frances June Archibald of Vero Beach, Florida, filed a civil lawsuit in Flagler County against her daughter-in-law, Cindy Rainey, her grandsons, Bailey and Jack Rainey, and two others. The lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages and accuses the defendants of interfering with and mishandling David Rainey's body after his death. The details of the lawsuit aren't known,

and the case is still making its way through the courts. Archibald has not commented. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Jen Smith is with me, chief investigative reporter with DailyMail.com. Jen Smith, are you telling me that David Rainey's mother, the dead dad, the husband, David Rainey's mother, sues his family, her daughter-in-law and her grandsons, the ones that are asking for money on GoFundMe, for mishandling his body? Yes, that is correct. So we have this lawsuit filed by David Rainey's

mother down in Vero Beach, which we don't have access to the full set of documents, obviously, that they will contain a lot. But the essence of this lawsuit is not that they themselves were responsible for his death, but she alleged that they were responsible for tampering with the body, dumping the body in this canal and lying to police about him going for a walk and for the rest of it. So the fact that the mother, these boys or these young adult men, their own grandmother and this woman's mother-in-law is suspicious of them tells you a lot about how this mother David Rainey's mother and his side of the family are viewing the wife and the two sons David Rainey's wife Cindy and their two sons Bailey and Jack Rainey the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by David Rainey, the dad, husband, mother

against them for tampering and mishandling his body. So if they mishandled his body, doesn't that mean that they knew about his death or that the mother-in-law believes they're the killers? Well, apparently local police agree. Listen. It's been more than two years since David Rainey's body was found submerged in water and stabbed to death. Police have no suspects in the murder, but that doesn't mean they've not made an arrest. The Dixie County

Sheriff's Office says three of David Rainey's family members have been arrested. David Rainey's wife and two sons were all charged with tampering with evidence apparently related to the dumping of Rainey's body in the canal after he was stabbed. Investigators with the Dixie County Sheriff's Office traveled to Bunnell, Florida and arrested Cindy Rainey and Bailey Rainey, then traveled to Orlando, Florida, and arrested Jack Rainey. Cindy Rainey, Bailey Rainey, and Jack Rainey are being held without bond in Florida. Tampering with evidence is counted as a third-degree felony with penalties of up to five years in prison or five years of probation and a $5,000 fine. Police still have not released a suspect or a possible motive for

the Rainey murder. Okay, let me understand this. Everybody on this panel, especially you, Kelly Hyman, pile on. So the mother-in-law sues for mishandling the body. Now the mother, wife, and the two adult sons charged with tampering with a body. But that's not all. Take a listen to our cut 23. David Rainey's unsolved murder brought about competing claims for life insurance benefits. This led to Life Insurance of North America to file its own lawsuit naming David Rainey's wife, Cindy Rainey, sons Bailey Rainey and Jack Rainey, his mother, June Frances Archibald, and others.

The goal of the life insurance company is to let a court decide who gets the money. The lawsuit mentions the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Cindy Rainey, Bailey Rainey, and Jack Rainey, alleging that each of them unlawfully and intentionally killed David Rainey and then disposed of his body in the canal behind the vacation rental. Okay, so Jen Smith, that's a civil lawsuit. And the insurance company, to my understanding, the life insurance company is suing the whole kit and caboodle. And they, the life insurance company, is claiming that the wife, Cindy Rainey, and the two sons, Billy and Jack Rainey, that they intentionally killed David Rainey. They're saying it, but the police are not saying it. Do I have that right?

No, not quite. Within this lawsuit, the one that's been filed by the insurance company, they're basically putting their hands up in the air saying, we don't want to have to pay out this policy twice. Now, this is quite a large sum of money. It's $475,000 thereabouts. Within their case, they make reference to another civil lawsuit. And that other civil lawsuit is blaming the family for the death. Now, we don't know if that is the language that is contained in David Rainey's mother's lawsuit, you know, the earlier one we were talking about that we don't have full access to. So it's not the life insurance company that's making this allegation. tested. And while we have this active police investigation and these two competing claims for the half a million dollar life insurance policy, we don't want to be stuck in the middle. Let the courts decide. OK, so you're saying this life insurance company isn't pointing the finger.

They're quoting somebody else who's pointing the finger. That's correct. So they quote that these three unlawfully and intentionally killed David Rainey and disposed of his body in the canal behind the vacation rental. I mean, you know, Pat Diaz. Man. Yeah, hold on, Karen. You know I'll lose my thought. Pat Diaz, a lot of people would say, oh, this is too stupid to be true. They kill him and dump him in the backyard, basically in the canal.

But, you know, a lot of criminals are incredibly stupid. They just, they're not thinking strategically like, wow, the first place the cop's going to look are out back in the canal. It happens. No, I agree. I agree. Especially, they're out, remember, we're in Dixie County. We're out in the middle of nowhere. That's a perfect solution to get rid of a body. And they could be gone by the time that body surfaces. It just happened to be, depending on how hot that was that day, the body came up faster and they were able to find it. But yes, that would be the ideal solution. What were you saying, Karen Stark? It's just odd to me that they're arrested on tampering with the body.

But meanwhile, they say he's missing. They report him missing. So clearly they're saying they don't know where the body is. But if they tampered with the body, then they knew exactly where the body was. So it's very odd. It's as though somebody came in and killed him and then they tampered with the body. Exactly. It doesn't make any sense. And of course, police are saying they haven't ruled these three out as the killers. Well, OK, I think that's pretty obvious. You know, I need Kelly Hyman and I need her now. Help me make sense of this. Why is a life insurance company,

the one publishing the charges well what's happening with the law enforcement right according to the complaint that was filed there was a huge insurance policy and according to the complaint the beneficiary was david's wife and the contingent beneficiary are his children we We're talking $467,000 that are at stake in this policy. So the insurance company is saying, look, we have this money, we want to give it, but we want to give it to the right person. And going back to the other point, when we talk about Florida, about tampering with physical evidence in Florida, tampering with physical evidence occurs when a person with the intent to pair the use of evidence,

conceal, alter, or destroy that evidence while being aware of the existence of an investigation or criminal proceeding. So if the state proved that, then potentially they proved the element of tampering with evidence. You know what I think they're doing? I think they're trying to ferret out who is the least culpable and get that one to roll over on the other two. I think that's what's going on right now. Which one will it be? I don't know. Maybe none of them, but they are, I guarantee you, scouring through their social media, their phones, their laptops, their iPads, their cell calls, they're pinging them, and they're finding out the movements that these three made leading up to the time that David Rainey goes missing. And frankly, we don't know when he went missing. To Pat Diaz,

former Miami-Dade police homicide detective in this jurisdiction of Florida, you said he probably hadn't risen to the top of the water when the cops first came. I don't know why. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a water specialist. But how do I know they didn't kill him three days before and stick him in the water? How do I know they didn't hide his body in the fridge and then stick him in the water? I mean, there could be any number of scenarios. How long had this guy really been dead when the wife, the widow, calls police? And to think, if they are guilty, and of course they haven't been charged, they were out acting like they were searching for

him i bet they didn't go act like they were looking in that canal i bet they didn't leave police over there what about it pat i agree i agree that that most likely um either they came upon the body or they were aware what happened and that's why the police can't charge them right now um they had this they had to get rid of the body one way or the other and that's why they got the tampering and that's why i think they were charged with that but i also believe too that there was an extensive there's an offensive crime scene someplace uh anytime you've got a homicide involved stamping you're going to have extensive blood all over the place. So there is a crime scene.

So they still may be working on DNA, trying to match up the DNA they found on the scene. So that's just the beginning. I think it's maybe just the beginning for them. Once they're in custody, they'll get their DNA and they may have not been able to get it back then. So now they have it now. So I think the investigation is still on and that's why they said there's still persons that are interested. You know, one other fact that we have not mentioned,

wasn't a family friend along on that trip, Jen Smith, Daily Mail? There was indeed. We have this family friend named Jeffrey Sawyer who seemingly after this has vanished into thin air. He's not been charged. He has not been named in any of these lawsuits that are flying around. No public comment about what happened. No information about his connection to the family,

whether or not he was a friend of Cindy or a friend of the victim, David. We know nothing about this guy, why he was there, whether he himself is married, whether he had any motives involved. There's a huge, huge gaping hole in this investigation when it comes to this guy. Authorities say they have not ruled out the widow and the two adult sons. We wait as justice unfolds. And of course, they say they're not guilty. Goodbye, friend.