Delia D'Ambra

And I presume they did this because it was likely still considered an important piece of physical evidence in the case.

Around that same time, an investigator with FDLE told reporter Christopher Clark that authorities were looking into whether the head of a known hit squad, who is in Fort Lauderdale, could be linked to the unsolved murders.

But it doesn't appear that lead went anywhere.

This hit squad leader, though, was believed to have ordered more than 100 professional killings and when he was arrested in June of 1982 in an unrelated situation in Broward County.

That's when investigators decided maybe they should give him a closer look.

But obviously trying to navigate the claims of a self-professed hit squad leader was tricky for authorities.

I mean, I guess there's only so much credibility you can give to a person like that.

But the theory that the boat ramp murders were the result of some kind of mob hit seemed to endure over the years.

The only problem was there were several aspects of the crime that didn't totally make sense with that theory.

Back in the early days of the investigation, a detective sergeant with the Manatee County Sheriff's Department told the Bradenton Herald it was possible a hitman was behind the incident, considering the fact that the killer had seemed to use a ruse and had a vehicle ready and waiting for him.

He'd also used a small caliber .22 handgun, which was often viewed as a go-to weapon for hitmen.

Investigative reports from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement echoed the same observations.

But a glaring detail that investigators didn't think pointed to a professional killer was the fact that the suspect had shot Juan while the family's station wagon was still in motion.

The detective sergeant from the sheriff's department stated, quote, Why would he, a hitman, shoot the driver of a moving vehicle when he's riding in it?

And I can't believe a hitman would leave on a bicycle or shoot in broad daylight in heavy traffic with lots of witnesses.

End quote.

Once again, this opinion was also reiterated by other investigators too.

A neighbor who spoke to the Bradenton Herald shortly after the murders stated that they hadn't noticed anyone lurking around the Dumois or Barrows rental cottage while they were in town, nor had neighbors seen anyone on bikes or in suspicious cars parked nearby.

Which to me feels like all the kind of stuff you'd expect to notice if a hitman had been trying to time the perfect opportunity to target someone in the family.

Another law enforcement official commented to the Bradenton Herald that he believed the crime was likely committed by a random stranger who may have been experiencing mental health issues.