“An employee of U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough was found dead in the congressman’s Fort Walton Beach branch office Friday morning, but police said there was no evidence of foul play.
A couple who was visiting the office about 8 a.m. for an appointment found Lori Klausutis, 28, of Niceville lying near a desk on the floor inside the office, located at 348 Miracle Strip Parkway.
Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Steve Hogue said Friday that a preliminary investigation into her death hasn’t turned up any evidence of foul play or trauma to her body, nor are there any outward indications of suicide. An autopsy was done Friday to determine the cause of Klausutis’ death. The results were not available late Friday night.
Police said that there was no sign of a break-in or a struggle inside the office and nothing was believed to have been stolen from Klausutis or the office. Klausutis worked as a constituent services coordinator for Scarborough, a spokeswoman in his Washington office said Friday.
It isn’t known how long Klausutis was dead before being found, or how long she had been at the office. A prepared statement from Scarborough’s Washington office indicated that she may have died as early as Thursday afternoon.
“My staff and family are greatly saddened by the loss of Lori Klausutis,” Scarborough said in a separate statement issued several hours after her body was found.
“I know Lori will be missed by the thousands of citizens who regularly contact my office to seek assistance with a variety of problems. May God grant Lori’s family the grace, comfort and hope that will get them through this difficult time.”
Klausutis’ husband and family could not be reached Friday. A sign posted on the door late Friday read, “Congressman Scarborough’s office is temporarily closed” and directed visitors to his Pensacola office. Klausutis had worked for Scarborough, R-Pensacola, since May 1999, and was based at the retiring congressman’s Fort Walton Beach office, said Miguel Serrano, Scarborough’s press secretary.
Her duties included handling appointments and walk-in visits from people who wanted to contact Scarborough, Serrano said. Scarborough flew from Washington, D.C. to Pensacola on Friday afternoon, but Serrano said that flight was planned before Klausutis’ death. He said that the congressman typically flies home on weekends to spend time with his two sons. Scarborough could not be reached for further comment.”
I added the emphasis to this article published in 2001 by the Northwest Florida Daily News. I have just one question.
If, as a certain politician is currently claiming, Joe Scarborough murdered Lori Klausutis, how did he manage to fly to Florida and back to Washington, D.C., completely undetected?
T9R
Article URL : https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171208/from-archives-stories-from-2001-related-to-scarborough-aide-klausutis-death