WINTER PARK, Fla. - The search for a missing woman ended Saturday after Winter Park police said she was found dead in Orange County.
Winter Park police said the body of Jennifer Lynn Fulford, 56, was found off of Apopka-Vineland Road Saturday after authorities spotted it from a Orange County Sheriff's Office helicopter.
Fulford's SUV was found in Orange County Friday. Police said it was not in the same area where her body was found, but said that after processing the vehicle, "valuable evidence" in the case had been obtained.
Authorities said they had been flooded with tips as they continued searching for a person of interest, identified as Scott Nelson, in Fulford's disappearance.
Fulford, a wife, mother of two, grandmother and nanny was last seen Wednesday leaving her dentist's office in Winter Park, officials said.
Winter Park police said she "vanished under suspicious circumstances."
Photos released by Winter Park police show Nelson accessing Fulfords’ bank account at an ATM. Nelson was seen wearing a Workout 32789 shirt in surveillance photos.
In a Facebook post, the gym posted: "The entire Workout 32789 family, employees and clients are praying for the speedy and safe return of Jennifer Lynn Fulford. The person of interest featured in the media photo has never been an employee or client of this studio. Our thoughts remain with Jennifer and her family."
Police said Saturday that they had a "good idea" of Nelson's whereabouts and believe they have strong evidence that will help tie him to Fulford's death. Nelson is on federal probation for bank robbery, Winter Park officers said.
"We are also following up on a lot tips that we have received on behalf of the individual who used Mrs. Fulford's ATM. That information has led to several leads and, as you can imagine, that takes a lot of time to follow up on each and every one of those, which we are doing and we would also encourage the public to provide us with information and leads to follow up on," Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal said Friday afternoon.
Robert Fulford, Jennifer Fulford's husband, told News 6 that after he got home Wednesday evening, Altamonte Springs police came to his house to tell him that his wife's boss had reported her missing. Jennifer Fulford did not pick up a client's child from school, which was described as odd behavior for her.
"She never picked him up from school, and I haven't heard from her since. I can't get her on her cellphone. Her phone is off. She's not answering texts," Robert Fulford said. "She's the nicest lady, most responsible lady on the planet, and it's just not like her to disappear."
Anyone with information about Nelson's whereabouts is asked to call the Winter Park Police Department at 407-644-1313 or Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS. A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
