'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAcACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgMAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBBEABSEGBwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABREAAgIBBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEQAEEjFBscH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AIH+U9HR7BrfR9glZX+noFYWEReWuISzmbT5gzM3TybWblGtYmgSokixSMiuAqhgpwHCPN444ZA7NPJZNFVNdXZHzH5lRNLCAoJVmUE81tVvWz//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Diana Duve went missing in June 2014 after she was last seen leaving a local bar in Vero Beach, Florida, with her on-again-off-again boyfriend Mike Jones. The couple had broken up at the time following a fight when Jones allegedly attempted to strangle Duve with his hands. He pursued her after the incident and the two finally met on June 19, 2014.
A search for Duve culminated in a pursuit for her ex Jones who disappeared the following day after informing Duve's parents that she was safe with him at his house. Detectives used cellphone tower pings, surveillance footage, and other leads, to track Jones to a hotel. Following this, local authorities found Duve's car parked in a Publix parking lot with her body inside the trunk.
This week's CBS 48 Hours episode, titled Where is Diana Duve?, will examine the case that rattled Vero Beach not so long ago. The synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:
"When a woman disappears with her boyfriend, investigators learn he was entrusted with millions at his bank job, but he also told outlandish lies about who he was."
The all-new episode airs on the channel on Saturday, May 6, at 10 pm ET.
Diana Duve was last seen alive leaving a Vero Beach bar with her abusive ex Mike Jones
Diana Duve, a Moldova native, worked as a nurse for cancer patients at the Sebastian River Medical Centre. That was when she first met wealth manager Mike Jones in the summer of 2013 at a Vero Beach, Florida, bar. In a few months, Diana had moved in with Mike. However, during a fight Jones allegedly tried to strangle Duve with his hands which led to a break-up and the latter moving out of the house.
Even after the breakup, Jones, who was 32 at the time, continued to pursue the 26-year-old nurse, sending her messages. Soon, on June 19, 2014, the former couple decided to meet at a local bar, What-A-Tavern. Duve was spotted leaving the establishment with her ex at 1:15 am. About a half-hour later, she even informed her mother Lena Andrews that she won't be coming home that night.
The following day, Diana Duve failed to return home and after her family's unsuccessful efforts to look for her, she was officially reported missing. Duve's mother then called Jones, who claimed that she was with him and that "everything is OK." He refused to let her parents speak to her, who then rushed to his apartment and found that he had disappeared.
Investigators used cellphone tower pings, surveillance footage, and the aid of local authorities, to find Diana Duve's body
Investigators soon learned that Mike Jones was a convicted felon. They learned that in 2012, he had been charged with aggravated stalking for threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend. Following this, he moved to Vero Beach and was on probation at the time.
Upon learning this information, they began following every possible lead. Using cellphone tower pings they were able to track him to a Hampton Inn, about 25 minutes south of Vero Beach.
Reports state that local authorities located in the hotel's parking lot and surveillance footage revealed that he checked into the establishment nearly 24 hours after Diana Duve went missing. There, he was arrested for a parole violation but refused to talk about Duve or her whereabouts.
Investigators, once again used cellphone pings and traced a burner phone the suspect was using. They even examined hours of surveillance footage and finally spotted him driving his missing ex's car. Local authorities were alerted to be on the lookout for Duve's car which was eventually found in a Publix parking lot sometime around 4:30 am.
Diana Duve's body was stashed in the trunk of the vehicle. A subsequent autopsy revealed that the 26-year-old suffered blunt force trauma and was strangled to death.
Following the discovery, Jones was charged with first-degree premeditated murder. In 2019, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
CBS 48 Hours will further delve into Diana Duve's disappearance and murder on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 10 pm ET.
