A Texas woman has been arrested for the murder of her husband, Frank Weiss, 24 years after his mysterious disappearance. Lisa Honrud, 55, has been charged with murder in connection to Weiss’ 2002 death, which was recently solved through advancements in investigative techniques, modern technology, and new information from a key witness, according to the Frisco Police Department.
The Events Leading Up to the Murder
The case dates back to June 2, 2002, when investigators learned that Lisa and Frank went out for dinner. This was the last time anyone saw Frank alive, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC affiliate KXAS.
Police believe that after their dinner, Honrud shot Weiss with a .38 caliber revolver before disposing of his body in Lake Lewisville, located within the Frisco city limits. His body was found two days later, wrapped in black bags, tied with rope, and weighted down with sandbags duct-taped to his legs, according to the affidavit.
The Deception and Life Insurance Change
After Weiss’ disappearance, Honrud reportedly told his daughter that her father had gone to Cancun and did not want to be bothered. Meanwhile, investigators also discovered that Weiss had recently requested an annulment of their marriage, which Honrud had agreed to sign.
Additionally, one month before his death, Weiss had changed the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, naming his daughter as the sole beneficiary. It is unclear whether Honrud was aware of this change, but the timing raised suspicions.
The Key Witness and Revolver Evidence
The breakthrough in solving the case came when a key witness came forward with new information. The witness reportedly told detectives that they had given Honrud the .38 caliber revolver before Weiss went missing.
According to the affidavit, after learning that Weiss had been killed with a .38 revolver, the witness confronted Honrud, who allegedly confessed, saying, “we got rid of it” by throwing the gun off a bridge over Joe Pool Lake. This confession helped authorities piece together the final details of the murder.
Family Reaction and Statement
Following Honrud’s arrest, Carla Weiss, the victim’s daughter, released a statement to the media. She remembered her father as a “wonderful man”, recalling how he used to carry her on his shoulders for hours so she could ride the pink Dumbo at an amusement park.
“He deserved better than this and we deserved to have him in our life a lot longer than we did,” Carla Weiss said.
The case, which had remained unsolved for 24 years, has now reached its conclusion, offering closure to the family and justice for Frank Weiss.
