Authorities in Dixie County have arrested a widow and her two sons in connection with the death of a man in 2021 whose body was found in a canal after a family vacation.
The case involves David Rainey, 52, of Palm Coast, Florida, who was found stabbed to death in July 2021 during a vacation to Suwannee, where Rainey’s family and friends had rented a home.
Those arrested in the case include Rainey’s wife, Cindy Sue Rainey, 48, and sons, Bailey William Rainey, 21; and Jack Davis Rainey, 19. All were facing charges of tampering with evidence, a felony, apparently in connection with dumping Rainey’s body in the canal after he was stabbed. None was charged with murder or related crimes in the case.
Cindy Rainey, who was being held in the Flagler County Jail, reported her husband missing in July 2021 and said he had walked away from the vacation rental in Suwannee after an argument. He left behind his glasses, wallet and cellphone.
Later that night, Dixie County sheriff’s deputies found David Rainey in a canal behind the vacation rental. He was still in the same clothes he was last seen wearing and had stab wounds to his chest. Authorities determined he had been placed in the water after he was stabbed.
The sheriff’s office announced the family’s arrests Friday. They were arrested earlier this week.
David Rainey’s mother, Frances June Archibald of Vero Beach, filed a civil lawsuit this summer in Flagler County against her daughter-in-law, grandsons and two others. The lawsuit, which is still winding its way through the courts, seeks more than $50,000 in damages and accuses the defendants of interfering with and mishandling David Rainey’s dead body after his death.
Archibald declined to discuss the case Friday.
Jack and Bailey Rainey’s defense lawyer in the civil lawsuit, Marc Dwyer of Flagler Beach said he has not seen any evidence in the criminal case against his clients.
“They are innocent until proven guilty until the state proves them guilty,” Dwyer said. “The only thing I know is that they are not (guilty).”
Five days after David Rainey’s death, both Bailey and Jack Rainey started a GoFundMe account named “In remembrance of David Rainey's life,” asking for “a charitable donation be made to his son's Bailey & Jack for their future.” So far, donors have contributed $475.
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