JOANN MATOUK ROMAIN

It was Jan. 12, 2010 when a local mother disappeared after leaving an evening church service.

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It’s been less than a month since Dateline Detroit focused on the death of JoAnn Matouk Romain and the family said people unwilling to talk in the past are starting to come forward.

It’s been a mystery for 11 years, 55-year-old JoAnn Matouk Romain found dead in the Detroit River 70 days after disappearing following a church service she attended in Grosse Pointe Farms.

In this Local 4 special report you’ll see the new revelations in JoAnn Matouk Romain’s mysterious death that some firmly believe was murder.

Was the 55-year-old’s death a suicide or the work of something more sinister?

Scott Burnstein, crime reporter and historianThe family of JoAnn Matouk Romain says it will never give up on finding out what happened to her. Burnstein, an investigative reporter who typically covers mob hits, said the death of JoAnn Matouk Romain captured his curiosity. A FBI spokesperson would only say “they would not confirm or deny a meeting with JoAnn Matouk Romain occurred.”The case into Matouk Romain’s death remains open. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

Scott Burnstein, crime reporter and historianThe family of JoAnn Matouk Romain says it will never give up on finding out what happened to her. Burnstein, an investigative reporter who typically covers mob hits, said the death of JoAnn Matouk Romain captured his curiosity. A FBI spokesperson would only say “they would not confirm or deny a meeting with JoAnn Matouk Romain occurred.”The case into Matouk Romain’s death remains open. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series Part 5: Very Disturbing and UnresolvedPublished: October 20, 2020, 6:10 pmDid JoAnn Matouk Roman meet with the FBI days before her disappearance? What was her mental state? Find out what a judge's opinion was on disputed facts.

On Jan. 12, 2010, Grosse Pointe Farms police reported Matouk Romain walked out of her evening church service at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church on Lake Shore Road, then walked across the street right into Lake St. Clair and killed herself. It is a mystery that has haunted Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe Woods for more than a decade: What happened to mother of three JoAnn Matouk Romain? On Jan. 12, 2010, Grosse Pointe Farms police reported Matouk Romain walked out of her evening church service at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church on Lake Shore Road, then walked across the street right into Lake St. Clair and killed herself. Here’s some Insider info from Karen Drew on producing the series and why she took on this story:Karen Drew and photographer John Pompeo. I have to admit, I have never reported on a story with so many twists and turns as the death of Joann Matouk Romain.

JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series Part 4: Questionable Police PracticesPublished: October 19, 2020, 3:50 pmInvestigators question how police fingerprinted JoAnn Matouk Romain’s car: Why was a piece of evidence donated to charity; how did a set of missing keys suddenly reappear? And we take a look at a timeline that presents many questions. More coverage: https://www.clickondetroit.com/topic/JoAnn_Matouk_Romain/

JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series Part 3: 'If anything ever happens to me ... 'Published: October 19, 2020, 3:45 pmJoAnn Matouk Romain hangs up the phone and tells her daughters: "If anything ever happens to me, look to him." More coverage: https://www.clickondetroit.com/topic/JoAnn_Matouk_Romain/

Matouk Romain had been living with her daughters on Morningside Drive at the time. That is when Columbo said the investigation into the disappearance of JoAnn Matouk Romain began. Burnstein, who mainly works on stories and investigations that involve organized crime mob hits, said the death of JoAnn Matouk Romain sparked his curiosity. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series Part 2: Missing When You Are Not Reported MissingPublished: October 19, 2020, 3:41 pmJoAnn Matouk Romain, a 55-year-old mother of three, walks out of church, leaves her car in the parking lot for two hours, and local police begin the search for her after spotting her car and footprints by a nearby Lake. Family says there is no way their mother could have physically climbed the barriers to get into the lake and then walk two football fields long in her high heels to her death. More coverage: https://www.clickondetroit.com/topic/JoAnn_Matouk_Romain/

Matouk Romain’s family doesn’t believe she committed suicide; her children believe something more sinister happened to the mom of three. The first is the idea JoAnn Matouk Romain walked to her death. JoAnn Matouk Romain's ripped purse. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

She didn’t know what, she just knew something was going to happen.” Michelle Romain, JoAnn Matouk Romain's daughterTen years and counting and the death of JoAnn Matouk Romain remains a mystery. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. The family said Matouk Romain shared her fears of her cousin Tim Matouk to others as well. Full Screen 1 / 11 These are images of the area outside St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church where JoAnn Matouk Romain went missing Jan. 12, 2010. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

Kellie Romain, JoAnn Matouk Romain's daughterIt is a mystery that has haunted Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe Woods for more than a decade: What happened to mother of three JoAnn Matouk Romain? Then there was the word Matouk Romain was paranoid and depressed, and the public seemed to be satisfied with the explanation she committed suicide. JoAnn’s life in Grosse Pointe WoodsJoAnn Matouk Romain was born and raised in Grosse Pointe Woods in her childhood home on Anita Street. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:Read more here: Karen Drew: Why I decided to cover mysterious death of JoAnn Matouk RomainResources:

“And said, you know, ‘If something ever happens to me, look at him,’” Kellie Romain said. JoAnn Matouk Romain mystery series -- watch here:A local mother reportedly walks into the icy water of Lake St. Clair and kills herself. Some claim JoAnn Matouk Romain was paranoid, but was she? “You say I’m being followed and all of a sudden she’s missing,” said Kellie Romain. Full Screen 1 / 19 JoAnn Matouk Romain with her husband, David Romain, and their three children Michell, Michael and Kellie.

JoAnn Matouk Romain, 55, disappeared on Jan. 12, 2010, after attending an evening prayer service at St. Paul's Church. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. – There is a new, surprising development in the investigation into the 2010 death of a Grosse Pointe Woods woman. According to documents filed in federal court, attorneys representing the family of JoAnn Matouk Ramain revealed a new witness has come forward. The witness, Paul Hawk, has sworn under oath that he saw Timothy Matouk with JoAnn near the water the night she went missing. JoAnn Matouk Romain was last seen Jan. 12, 2010, at a prayer service at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms. Timothy Matouk is JoAnn's cousin.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. – The 2010 death of JoAnn Matouk Romain remains a mystery one year after her disappearance. The Grosse Pointe Woods woman was last seen January 12, 2010 at a prayer service at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms. Investigators tracked footprints in the snow from the lot to Lake St. Clair, a short distance away. Michelle Romain questioned police, who believed footprints in the snow leading to the river’s edge matched JoAnn Matouk Romain’s boots. Her family said Romain had told them someone was following her in the weeks before she disappeared.

Editor’s note: This story was first published March 22, 2010. GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. – Authorities said dental records were used to help them determine that the body found in the Detroit River on Saturday morning is that of missing Grosse Pointe Woods woman, JoAnn Matouk Romain. Two fishermen on the west side of Boblo Island found the body partially submerged in the water and notified Canadian authorities. Police said Romain’s car was found parked in the lot of St. Paul’s Church on Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, along with her purse and more than $1,000. “But it opens up an entire whole end of investigation.”The family has hired a retired FBI agent to look into the death further.