Nearly 20 years after his ex-wife disappeared without a trace, a South Florida man is going on trial for her murder.
Opening statements are starting in the trial of Clifford Brett Friend, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lynn Friend.
Clifford Friend, 58, was indicted for the murder in 2012, some 18 years after his ex-wife went missing. According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Lynn Friend disappeared on August 28, 1994, shortly after winning a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband over their son, Christian.
Lynn Friend, 35 years old at the time of her disappearance, was planning to relocate out of Florida with Christian, and Clifford Friend had fought the move and vowed to stop it, the State Attorney's Office said.
During the lengthy investigation, authorities discovered Friend and an associate were seen dropping a large package from a boat in the Atlantic, the State Attorney's Office said. Lynn Friend's body was never found.
