What happened to Assunta Tomassi? Florida deputies release suspect's sketch after missing elderly woman found dead

Assunta Tomassi disappeared after she was last seen on March 16, 2018, at around 6:04 pm local time, entering a white pickup truck behind Publix at Oslo Road and US Highway 1. Authorities revealed that surveillance footage captured the driver saying something to her before she got into the truck.

Around five years after her disappearance, authorities discovered Assunta Tomassi’s remains in March 2023 near the Oslo Boat Ramp, along the coastline. While investigating the case, cops found a concerned citizen who claimed that even she was approached by a Caucasian male driving a white pickup truck.

Recently, Florida officers released the sketch of a man who reportedly was driving a white truck. Authorities believe that this could be the same man behind Tomassi’s disappearance and death. Assunta Tomassi was around 73 years old when she went missing, five years ago.

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73-year-old Assunta Tomassi was suffering from dementia at the time of her disappearance, says police

Assunta Tomassi went missing on March 16, 2018, after she got into a pickup truck behind Publix. The truck was then seen driving east on Oslo Road towards the Oslo Road boat ramp. Surveillance footage captured a similar truck traveling west on Oslo Road toward US Highway 1. However, that was the last time that the truck was spotted. It was also the last time that Assunta Tomassi was seen.

After five years, in March 2023, the remains of Tomassi were recovered from the area near Oslo Boat Ramp. Police further revealed that Tomassi was suffering from dementia when she went missing.

Assunta’s son Rhett R. Baker issued a statement back in March 2019, saying:

“I miss my mother and there’s a void left in my heart that can only be filled when we find her. Wherever you are Mom, I love you!”

He further said:

“I just want the public to know that if you have a family member that suffers from any type of mental illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease, spend as much of your extra time with them as possible because you never know when it will be the last time that you do.”

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Police are yet to identify the driver that picked up Assunta that day in 2018

Law enforcement officials claimed that regular customers who visited the plaza daily might recognize the truck or the driver. They further confirmed that the vehicle had been spotted several times in the area, even before Assunta went missing.

Assunta Tomassi’s remains were reportedly discovered by a fisherman on March 3, 2023. Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers stated that the family had requested privacy to cope with the tragic loss. Flowers added:

“I personally met with the Tomassi family this afternoon as we hope to bring closure to them and our community members, many of which searched alongside our agency for Susy over the past five years.”

Police are still unaware of the identity of the driver who was driving the pickup truck that picked up Assunta that day. The other woman who claimed to have come across a similar situation stated that the man was in the age range of 30 to 40 years.

He reportedly had a medium build and brown hair. Authorities have further urged the public to contact the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office if they possess any information regarding the person in the sketch or the incident.