The cold case "posse" has brought to closure the two oldest cold cases ever to be solved in the State of Florida, and two of the oldest unsolved mysteries in the history of the United States. The cases of Daniel Goldman (1966) and Joseph Dimare (1961) are now closed. The effort continues.

CASE CLOSED

Danny Goldman's Disappearance and Abduction

However, on March 28, 1966, Danny was abducted from his Surfside home by a husky intruder who entered through unlocked sliding glass doors at around 4:30 AM. The kidnapper addressed the Goldmans by their first names, demanding $10,000 in cash. Finding no cash except in Aaron Goldman's wallet, he took Danny and instructed the family to prepare $25,000 for his release at 6 PM that evening, threatening to double the ransom to $50,000 if they failed to comply. The kidnapper's focus on ransom may have limited the parents' response.

"I'm going to hold Danny for security for the money. I wanted $10,000, but with the help I'll need now, it will double. You get up $25,000. If you don't get it for tonight, the price will double tomorrow. I'll call you about 6 or 7 tonight with instructions." The kidnapper never contacted the family, and no exchange took place. Danny was never found, and his kidnappers remain unidentified and at large. Once a top priority for law enforcement, the case was labeled "administratively closed" by 2012, with agencies ceasing efforts to solve it.

Danny Goldman has remained missing, with neither his kidnapper nor any accomplices ever identified or apprehended. Despite once garnering national attention as the "#1 Mystery" for law enforcement agencies, by 2012 the case was officially marked "administratively closed." Agencies ceased efforts to solve the case, and a process of destroying records, losing files, and ignoring evidence unfolded. Unbeknownst to the public, the criminals seemed to be shielded by the system.

In 2012, Danny was absent from all national, state, county, and local databases as a missing person or open case, as if he had never existed and his abduction had never occurred. His mother passed away in February 2012, following his father's death in 2010, with their memories and the crime seemingly fading from history.

Volunteer Team Revives the Case

In March 2012, a group of Surfside residents, including Anthony Blate, Joseph Graubart, David Graubart, Harvey Lisker, and Paul Novack, took it upon themselves to revive the case and pursue justice. Four of them were Miami Beach High alumni, and three had personally known Danny in Surfside. They believed that a tragedy of this magnitude should not be forgotten and deserved attention, regardless of the cold trail.

Investigation Efforts and Discoveries

Under the leadership of prominent attorney and former Surfside Mayor Paul Novack, the group embarked on an exhaustive review of the case and a tireless search for clues, information, evidence, and answers. Novack personally dedicated thousands of hours and significant financial resources to the challenging task of investigating a cold, abandoned case. 

Archive Photos

Uncovering a Network of Connected Deaths

The linked deaths pages are essential reading. The discovery of numerous interconnected deaths is one of the most startling and unexpected revelations throughout the entire investigation. A web of hidden connections among various homicides has been uncovered.

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