HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One of two men whose names Hallandale Beach police released Wednesday as persons of interest in a woman's disappearance said he has "no idea" where she is.
Hallandale Beach police named Antwan Kennedy, of Miramar, a person of interest in Lynda Meier's disappearance. According to investigators, Kennedy was the last person to have contact with Meier.
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Meier, 40, has not been seen since June 4. Surveillance cameras captured video of her leaving her Hallandale Beach building at 5:17 a.m. Another video showed Meier using an ATM at the Bank of America in the 800 block of East Hallandale Beach Boulevard 10 minutes later, and the last video of Meier showed her Cadillac Escalade moving west on Hallandale Beach Boulevard.
"I wake up every morning after barely sleeping and I feel like I'm in a nightmare, and I am. I'm missing my only daughter," said Phylis Meier, Lynda's mother.
According to investigators, Meier had known Kennedy since they were both 13 years old, when Meier was working to help troubled youth in Overtown.
"He had contact with Lynda days prior to her disappearance and contact with her the morning of her disappearance," said Maj. Dwayne Fluornoy, of the Hallandale Beach Police Department.
Local 10's Jeff Weinsier spoke to Kennedy on Wednesday afternoon.
"Did you speak to (Meier) the morning she disappeared?" Weinsier asked.
"Yes," Kennedy said.
"What was the conversation about?" Weinsier asked.
"It wasn't even a conversation. It was a 20-, 30-second conversation. She was going to work out, and I told the police that," Kennedy said.
Kennedy told Local 10 that he does not know why police have released his name and called him a person of interest in Meier's disappearance.
"I have no idea why they would do that," Kennedy said.
"Have you been cooperating?" Weinsier asked.
"Every time they called me, I came down," Kennedy said.
"How many times?" Weinsier asked.
"At least five or six, for two- or three-hour periods," Kennedy said.
"And they've interrogated you?" Weinsier asked.
"Every time," Kennedy said.
"And they let you go?" Weinsier asked.
"They let me go every time," Kennedy said.
Kennedy is no stranger to the law. In 2007, he was charged with the murder of a 19-year-old Miami woman and was featured in an episode of the TV show "The First 48." Those charges against Kennedy were later dropped.
Dallas King also has been named a person of interest in the case. Police said investigators have interviewed King, who is in custody in Miami-Dade County on an unrelated charge, on several occasions.
"Dallas King is a person that at some time and point had possession of Lynda Robin Meier's credit cards and debit cards," Fluornoy said.
Investigators said Kennedy and King communicated with each other both before and after Meier's disappearance.
Police said Meier had withdrawn a large sum of money before she vanished. Her SUV was found abandoned in an Opa-Locka parking lot on June 13.
"We believe that individuals or an individual perhaps attempted to clean the inside of Lynda's car sometime after her disappearance," Fluornoy said.
Police also released a surveillance photo of a person trying to use Meier's credit card at 6:32 a.m. on June 4. Investigators asked that members of the public look at the picture, especially at the pattern on the back of the person's jacket, in the hope of generating tips.
Hallandale Beach police said they suspect foul play in Meier's disappearance, although no body has been found.
"As we speak today, do you know where Lynda Meier is?" Weinsier asked Kennedy.
"I have no idea where Lynda Meier is," he said. "No idea, period."
The reward for information leading to Meier's whereabouts has been increased to $75,000. Anyone with information is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 866-493-TIPS (8477).