Who killed Cynthia Moffett and Randi Gorenberg? Families mark anniversary of unsolved murders
Debbie Moffett described her sister Cynthia as a leader who went to great lengths to help others. Idey Elias recalled her daughter Randi Gorenberg's kindness. Those memories were resonant as two families this weekend marked the March 23 anniversary of two of Palm Beach County's oldest unsolved homicide cases.
Saturday, March 23, will mark the 18th anniversary of the evening that someone shot and killed Moffett while she worked at what was then Forest Oaks Golf Course near Greenacres. It will also mark of the 17th anniversary of the murder of Gorenberg, whose investigators say was killed and dumped near Delray Beach after shopping at a Boca Raton mall.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office this month issued appeals to the public for leads in both cases, as well as the still-unsolved 1990 St. Patrick's Day murder of 14-year-old Rachel Hurley in Jupiter. Her body was found on the grounds of Carlin Park that March 17 after she'd spent the day at the beach with friends.
"I miss her every day," Debbie Moffett said of Cynthia. "I always think about 'What if?' "
Elias spoke as passionately about about her daughter Randi.
"I miss her so much," she said. "Now, as I get older I miss her more and more. I love to remember her. Even though it hurts, I never want to lose that memory.”
The sheriff's office asks anyone with information on any of the three cases to call Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 800-458-TIPS (8477).
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Cynthia Moffett murder: Whoever shot her stole $300 in wrapped coins
In years past, Moffett's family has gathered at the golf course site, south of Lake Worth Road near Florida's Turnpike, to mark the anniversary and to appeal to the public for new leads. This year, it will mark the occasion quietly.
According to sheriff's office accounts, Cynthia Moffett was killed during a robbery as she was closing up the golf course's pro shop. She was 52 years old. Investigators said one or more persons fled with $300 in wrapped coins after the murder. Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Speaking by telephone, Debbie Moffett described Cynthia as a forceful and outgoing personality.
"She was the boss," Debbie said. "She wasn't the oldest, but she was always in charge. If you sat in a restaurant and you were waiting for a cup of coffee, she would get up and get the coffee."
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Cynthia, a suburban Boca Raton resident, spent time volunteering at St. Jude Catholic Church in Boca Raton, teaching English to migrant workers. In 2005, after Hurricane Wilma knocked out power in the area, she used the pro shop's gas power to cook for customers looking for a hot meal.
"She was a doer," Debbie said. "She would do anything for anyone. Just ask. And even if you didn't ask (she would offer help). That's just who she was."
Randi Gorenberg murder: Was robbery the motive as well?
Elias said that family and residents of her senior community in Palm Beach Gardens were planning to gather for a sabbath service Friday afternoon in her daughter's honor.
Exactly one year after after Cynthia Moffett's murder, investigators say Gorenberg was killed following a shopping trip to Town Center at Boca Raton. Her body was dumped in the parking lot of the South County Civic Center west of Delray Beach, about 5 miles northwest.
A witness described hearing gunfire, then seeing a woman pushed out of the passenger side of a black Mercedes-Benz SUV. The SUV, later identified as Gorenberg's, was found that afternoon in the parking lot of Home Depot near Atlantic Avenue and Jog Road.
Gorenberg, of suburban Boca Raton, was a wife and mother of two. Like Moffett, she was 52 years old the day she died. Noting that Gorenberg's purse and cellphone were taken, investigators have speculated that robbery is the likely motive for the murder.
Authorities are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Gorenberg's case.
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Rachel Hurley: Was killed after leaving friends to meet her mother
PBSO marked the anniversary of Rachel Hurley's murder Sunday by recapping the events of March 17, 1990, including posting a mini-documentary video about the case that it produced in 2019.
Rachel was a student at Jupiter Middle School who went boating with friends near the Jupiter Inlet that Saturday.
Concerned that she would be late in meeting her mother, Rachel left her group of friends at Dubois Park and sprinted toward Carlin Park, about a mile away on State Road A1A south of Indiantown Road.
Before she could reach her destination, the teen was was abducted and murdered, with someone leaving her partially clothed body in a wooded area, investigators said. Two men suspected to be involved were investigated but never charged
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cynthia Moffett, Randi Gorenberg remembered on anniversary of murders
