Twenty-four years after 74-year-old Jean Ault’s body was discovered in the mangroves at Coquina Key Park, St. Petersburg detectives say her killer is still out there. The retiree vanished in March 2002 while she was getting ready for a camping trip, and now the case is back in the spotlight with fresh DNA testing and a family-funded reward on the table. Relatives and investigators are once again asking anyone who remembers Ault’s camper van or a missing Huffy bicycle from that spring to speak up, saying even a vague memory could finally crack the case.
Case details and timeline
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Ault was last seen by a neighbor just before noon on March 23, 2002, after she returned a library book and continued packing for her camping trip. Her body was later found bound and beaten in the mangroves at Coquina Key Park. Investigators recovered her camper van at an apartment complex on 54th Avenue South.
FOX 13 Tampa Bay reports that the only item missing from her belongings was a Huffy-model bicycle, and that her nephew, Peter Forcinito, is offering a $10,000 reward for information that brings the family some closure. Neighbors told the station that Ault was active in neighborhood watch efforts, which made the brutality of the crime feel especially jarring.
Official record and tip line
The St. Petersburg Police Department case flyer lists the date of occurrence as March 23, 2002, and records the location as Coquina Key Skate Park. The flyer notes that Ault died of upper-body trauma and includes contact details for both the Homicide Unit and the police communications center for anyone with information.
Detectives are asking anyone with tips to call 727-893-7164 or use the Tip411 portal to submit information anonymously through the department’s system.
New DNA testing, no match yet
Detectives authorized new DNA testing on evidence from the case in 2025, hoping modern tools might reveal something older methods missed. So far, those tests have not produced a definitive hit, investigators say.
In an interview with FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Assistant Police Chief Mike Kovacsev said, "Everybody wanted justice for Ms. Ault, and unfortunately, so far we haven't been able to do that. It's a true mystery." Investigators told the station that advances in forensic technology and genetic tools still give them reason to believe a breakthrough is possible.
How you can help
Ault’s family and detectives are urging anyone who lived in south St. Petersburg in March 2002 to rewind their memories and focus on the small stuff. A camper van parked at an apartment complex, a missing Huffy bicycle, an unfamiliar face hanging around the area anything that seemed off at the time could matter now.
The St. Petersburg Police Department lists the Homicide Unit number as 727-893-7164 and provides the police communications-center number for anonymous tips. Investigators stress that even details that feel insignificant might be the missing piece they need to push the case forward.
Why investigators remain hopeful
Across the country, improvements in DNA analysis and the rise of investigative genetic genealogy have helped revive long-dormant cases and, in some instances, deliver long-delayed justice. Those tools depend on strong samples and come with privacy and equity debates, but they have changed what is possible in cold case work.
As AP News recently outlined, genealogy databases and lab advances are creating leads that investigators could not have dreamed of when many of these cases began. Local detectives say similar methods are part of their strategy as they take another hard look at the evidence in Ault’s killing.
For Ault’s family, each anniversary is a reminder that the search is not over and that the passage of time does nothing to lessen the need for answers. Investigators say they plan to keep testing evidence and following up on every credible tip until someone is finally held accountable.
