Riddle me this: can the Ben Novack murder investigation get any weirder?
The heir to Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel estate was killed in his hotel room in upstate New York in July, but the odd details of his demise and the subsequent fight over his wealth continues to astound, especially after it was learned yesterday that Novack's extensive collection of Batman memorabilia has vanished into thin air.
The collection, housed in warehouses throughout Broward County, is said to be the country's second-largest and worth millions.
"The [Batman] stuff is gone -- disappeared," Chief Gregory Austin of Rye Brook, N.Y. police, who are investigating Novack's murder, told the Miami Herald.
Do they suspect it was the Joker? The Penguin? The Riddler?
The answer might be a littler closer to home, especially after it was also learned that Novack's widow, Narcy, gained access to Novack's mother's safe deposit box a few weeks ago, without authorization.
It's unknown what was in the deposit box.
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Novack was found by his wife in the couple's hotel room, his hands and legs bound with tape. Novack's mother, Bernice Stempel Novack, was found dead in her Fort Lauderdale home in April, her skull fractured.
While Bernice Novack's death was ruled accidental, family members have expressed doubts, pointing to the fact that Novack, 86, had once told police that she thought Narcy was trying to poison her.
Narcy, 53, has been in a bitter struggle with her daughter, May Abad, over the multi-million dollar estate, with each accusing the other of plotting Ben Novack's murder.
It's been so bitter that the two got into a physical fight outside the Novack's $3 million Las Olas home.
Narcy Novack is considered a person of interest in her husband's murder, but Austin told the Herald that the safe deposit box episode and the missing Batman treasures will have no bearing on the investigation.
It may be time to send up the Bat-Signal, the police might need help.
