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Jennifer Rado, 41, was shown on the National Center for Missing Persons website after she was first reported missing July 13 in New Smyrna Beach and then four days later when she was at a party in Edgewater thrown by her accused killer, Frances Gibson, according to police there. NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Despite her apparent addiction to prescription pills, murder victim Jennifer Rado was loved by her husband and their two children, say friends who knew her.
"She was a great person and a friend to all," said Renee Tyner-McGraw, both former employees of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Terri Lynn Ellis-Breary grew up with Jennifer Rado's husband, Josh, a tile man in greater New Smyrna Beach.
"The news is startling," the 44-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident said. "I am deeply saddened by the outcome and my heart aches for Josh and the Rado family."
Ellis-Breary said she was up all when she first saw last night's TV news and then the details confirmed on NSBNews.net early this morning.
"I have been up thinking about this all night and knew in my heart when it first was on the 10 p.m. news that the one on Maytown was going to be Jennifer," she said, adding, "Lets try to find some positive on Jennifer. She is a daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. Her husband Josh and her owned a tile company and are great local people from here. I believe the wrong path she had taken was something that has just happened in the past few months or so."
Mayor Adam Barringer said "New Smyrna Beach weeps" not only for the victim, but her family as well.
"Josh has done tile work for Barringer construction," the mayor said. "It must be horrible what he's going through -- absolutely horrible."
Jennifer Rado's accused murderer led Edgewater police Monday night to her skeletal remains off Maytown Road in Oak Hill. She was beaten with slash marks on her face and head from bare knuckles and may have been strangled as well. Her body was tied with electrical tape and wiring, murdered for the prescription drugs she had with her at a party hosted by her alleged killer.
Terri Lynn Ellis-Breary said it makes her "sick to hear that (the cops) say it was all over drugs. That is definitely not how I know the Rados and I have known Josh since Junior high. Josh is an amazing person and loved Jennifer unconditionally. I believe they were even high school sweethearts."
She said the Rados loved to do family things and were always involved in what their children were doing. They lived life like a local, lived worked and played here. Living not far from the beach was a way of life; they were a much laid back down to earth hard working family."
Barringer said any kind of killing in a close-knit community in New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and Oak Hill, no matter the circumstances, affects many people's lives personally.
"It absolutely does."