Faith Nanette Lippe, a 50-year-old nutrition consultant for Ossining, New York schools, was last seen on October 3, 2008. Her husband of eighteen years, Werner Lippe, reported that he last saw her at their home on Little Lake Road in Cortlandt, New York, at 1:30 p.m. According to him, she had just come home from running errands when she said she needed to go out again. He claimed to have seen her get into a Jeep with an unidentified person and leave, never to be seen again.
Faith left behind all of her personal belongings, including her purse and cell phone, though a pair of expensive earrings, valued between $10,000 and $15,000, were missing. Werner Lippe's behavior following his wife's disappearance raised suspicions; he did not attempt to call her after she failed to return home that night and the next day, before filing a missing person's report, he drove to Connecticut, had lunch, and checked on his boat. He also disposed of all her clothing and health food.
Initially, police stated they did not suspect foul play. However, the investigation took a dramatic turn in late October 2008 when Werner Lippe confessed to his wife's murder. He admitted to a friend, who was secretly recording the conversation for the police, that he had struck Faith over the head with a piece of wood. He then said he placed her unconscious body into a 55-gallon oil drum he used as a burn barrel and burned her remains for over 24 hours. When confronted with this recording, Werner confessed again to investigators. A successful jeweler with high-profile clients like Donald Trump and Yoko Ono, Werner had experience with high-temperature fires from his work melting precious metals. The couple was reportedly in the middle of a contentious divorce, and there had been two prior domestic disturbance calls to their home. Friends of Faith described Werner as a controlling and verbally abusive husband.
Following his confession, Werner Lippe was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He later recanted his confessions. A key piece of evidence, the burn barrel he claimed to have used, was missing from his property when police went to collect it and has never been found. In February 2010, Werner Lippe's first murder trial ended in a hung jury, with the jury deadlocked at seven to five for acquittal, leading the judge to declare a mistrial. However, a second trial was held in October 2010, and this time, the jury convicted him of murder after just two days of deliberation. Werner Lippe was subsequently sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life in prison. Faith Lippe's body has never been recovered.Last Seen: Oct 3, 2008
