Lisa Lavoice

Do you know who killed 30 year old Lisa Lavoice in 2000?
Lisa Lavoice was a daughter, a mother to a 13-year-old girl, and a sister who is remembered for her strong-willed nature and her love for simple joys. A 30-year-old white woman, Lisa grew up in Vermont where her older sister, Cindy, remembers her as a baby she loved to cuddle like a doll. As a child, Lisa always wanted a horse and was thrilled to get a pony named Thunder for her birthday, which moved with the family to central Florida after her sister graduated high school. In Florida, she enjoyed playing poker and singing karaoke with friends from work. Though she became estranged from her family after moving to Gainesville and struggled with drug use, those who knew her well saw a sweet, kind, and loving person. Her mother, who was battling cancer at the time of Lisa's death, was so devastated she kept her daughter's ashes on her dresser, unable to bear another separation.

The morning of Wednesday, October 18, 2000, began with a grim discovery in Gainesville, Florida. At around 8:00 a.m., a man walking his daughter to school found a body in a wooded area in the 500 block of NE Waldo Road. The woman was identified as Lisa Lavoice. An autopsy later revealed she had died from a horrifying combination of strangulation and multiple stab wounds. Investigators believe she was killed the evening before her body was found. At the time of her death, Lisa was unemployed and known to be a sex worker. She was last seen alive on the evening of October 17 at a residence in the same area where her body was later located.

The investigation into Lisa's murder was launched by the Gainesville Police Department. More than a month after her body was found, detectives publicly confirmed the cause of death and appealed for information. Detective Roger Crase stated his belief that the killer was likely a local resident whom Lisa knew and trusted. "Someone she knew and trusted is responsible for this," Crase said in a December 2000 news report. "That's why I'm appealing to the public." Her family, including her daughter, mother, father, and sister, were desperate for answers and what Crase called "closure."

A strange and potentially significant event occurred the day before Lisa’s body was discovered. She was staying at the Gainesville Lodge hotel on West University Avenue, which became the scene of a high-profile kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy. Police and news crews swarmed the motel, and Lisa was briefly interviewed on camera by a local news station, TV20, while standing in the doorway of her room. Her family later learned of this interview from newscasts her mother had recorded. They brought it to the attention of investigators, questioning why she was put on television, though police at the time publicly stated that her murder was "totally unrelated" to the kidnapping, for which two men were arrested.

Despite the initial investigation and public appeals, no arrests have ever been made in Lisa Lavoice’s homicide. Her case has grown cold over the decades, joining the list of unsolved murders maintained by the Gainesville Police Department. The area where Lisa was found was not far from other locations where women were later killed in Gainesville, leading to public speculation about a possible connection, but no definitive link has been established by law enforcement.

The case of Lisa Lavoice remains open but inactive, pending new leads. Her sister Cindy holds onto memories of Lisa at her happiest, riding her pony and singing karaoke, hoping that is what she is doing in heaven. The Gainesville Police Department continues to list Lisa's case on its cold case homicide page, a silent testament to a life cut short and a family still waiting for justice. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Lisa Lavoice is encouraged to contact the Gainesville Police Department's Investigations Tip Line at 352-393-7700.