Missing Florida Lyft Driver’s Family Confirms Death

After learning “unfortunate information,” the family of a missing Lyft driver in Florida is now in mourning. Gary Levin, 74, disappeared on January 30 after picking up a client in Delray Beach, according to NBC station WPTV. Levin and his vehicle were missing for days prior to the discovery of his Kia Stinger in North Carolina. The driver, Matthew Flores, led the police on a pursuit.

Authorities stated that Flores was wanted in connection with another Wauchula homicide. Human remains were discovered in a forested area of Okeechobee County on Saturday, not far from where Levin dropped off his final passenger. According to WPTV, Levin’s phone pings two miles from the crime scene where the body was discovered.

Tuesday afternoon, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced that the remains had been identified following an autopsy, but due to Marsy’s Law, they were unable to disclose the victim’s name. Multiple additional sources, according to WPTV, confirmed that the remains belonged to Levin.

Lindsay DiBetta, Levin’s daughter, expressed gratitude to those who helped her family in a Facebook post, but also requested privacy during this difficult time. She stated, “I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers” DiBetta stated that her family would announce the memorial services for her father in the coming days.

If you knew him or had the opportunity to meet him even once, you would immediately comprehend what she meant when she said that her father was truly unique. The anecdotes about him that I’ve heard from friends, relatives, and strangers over the past week have inspired me more than you’ll ever know.

Although Okeechobee County State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl told WPTV that Flores is a person of interest in the investigation, he had not yet filed charges against Flores in connection with Levin’s death as of the publication date of this article.