ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Five-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck was likely alive when her father dropped her over a bridge railing, sending her into the waters of Tampa Bay, police said Friday.
Detectives said they had “preliminary evidence” indicating Phoebe was alive, but they wouldn’t say specifically what it was. Police previously said an officer who saw John Jonchuck drop Phoebe from the bridge may have heard her scream.
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John Jonchuck
Photo: AP
Her body was found in the water a couple of hours later. An autopsy is pending.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Jonchuck’s car and found a pink booster seat, cellphone and religious items they would not describe. Hours before Phoebe’s death, Jonchuck called his attorney “God” and asked her to translate a Bible, police said.