Delia D'Ambra

An article by the Bradenton Herald stated that the police didn't put out a bulletin until 5.39 p.m., nearly 40 minutes after the murders.

The drawbridges for the island had also not been sealed off after the crime, but the police department's response to that pointed criticism was that their agency didn't have the authority to secure the bridges.

That was something solely controlled by the U.S.

Coast Guard.

And at that time, that agency wouldn't just shut down key access points to the island at a moment's notice.

But to me, this whole the bridges stayed open thing is such a critical detail because it's very possible that was how the killer fled so quickly after the crime.

There's really no other way on or off Anna Maria Island unless you get onto a boat, which I don't think anyone who's commented on this crime suspects was the case.

The whole incident, from the way Raymond and Juan were approached at the boat ramp, to them all being shot in the head, to the fact that the killer seemed to have a getaway car waiting at the Foodway grocery store, it all prompted law enforcement to wonder if perhaps the killings were less of a freak coincidence, but rather something more intentional, like a hit job.

So they began digging into Juan and Raymond's lives, tearing into their backgrounds to see if there were any enemies or secrets that no one knew about, anything that pointed to a motive for murder.

What investigators learned early on was that the Dumois and Barrows would regularly take vacations together.

Annie's mother, Dora, was Dr. Juan Dumois' sister, so the families being together was not unusual at all.

During this particular trip to Ana Maria Island, though, the Dumois' eldest son, who was also named Juan, didn't join the family.

He was a college student at the time, studying for a future medical career.

He'd stayed behind in Tampa that weekend to work at his father's pediatric office.

He wasn't as into fishing as his younger brothers, Eric and Mark.

So normally, whenever boating activities were on the schedule, his dad would just take Eric and Mark out since they were more into fishing.

Annie's older brother, Ray, also hadn't been on vacation with the group.

He'd remained at home in Miami where the Barrows lived.

Maria Dumas would later tell WFTS how horrific the crime was to everyone from both families.

She said there was a point where she wasn't even sure she'd be able to keep her sanity because her grief and pain were just too intense.