Police start draining four-acre pond as they search for Florida mom who has been missing for years

Police start draining four-acre pond as they search for Florida mom who has been missing for years Nicole Baldwin, 41, has been missing since November 2023 - Bookmark Florida investigators on Tuesday began draining and sifting through a four-acre retention pond as part of an ongoing homicide investigation into the 2023 disappearance of Nicole Baldwin. Detectives with the Mount Dora Police Department expect to remain at the site in Deltona, located on DeBary Avenue between Enterprise Road and North Road, through Thursday, June 18, according to an agency news release seen by News 6 Orlando. Baldwin, a 41-year-old mother of three, was last seen by her daughter late on November 2, 2023, at a home in the Lancaster at Loch Leven subdivision in Mount Dora. Authorities issued a missing person bulletin three days later, but the case has since been reclassified. “Based on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, the case is being investigated as a homicide,” the police department said in a statement. The decision to drain the pond follows new leads developed with assistance from outside law enforcement agencies. Investigators previously searched multiple areas of interest for potential evidence without success. Police officials stated that if any evidence was recovered during the current pond search, the department would provide updates and schedule a press conference. At the time of her disappearance, Baldwin left her home wearing a nightgown and no shoes, leaving behind her phone, Apple Watch, purse, debit card and vehicle, News 6 Orlando reported at the time. Family members and friends told police that it was highly unusual for Baldwin to cut off communication with her children. Authorities also previously noted that Baldwin had a medical condition that required medication and may have necessitated medical attention. She was described as having a rose tattoo on her right hand and a floral tattoo sleeve stretching from her left shoulder to her elbow. The Mount Dora Police Department has asked anyone with information regarding the case to contact investigators at 352-735-7130, or to submit anonymous tips through Crimeline at 800-423-8477.