Patricia Brennan, 63, was found floating off the Boca Raton coast on Aug. 4; a boater reported the sighting and a dive team recovered her body. Authorities have not disclosed the condition of the remains or whether foul play is suspected, and the investigation is active.
Brennan previously pleaded no contest in a 2014 case tied to the stabbing death of her 76-year-old mother, was sentenced in 2016 and released from prison in 2022. Multiple agencies assisted in the recovery.
The body of 63-year-old Patricia Brennan was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean about two miles east of 2500 N Ocean Blvd. in Boca Raton on Aug. 4, local authorities said.
According to the Boca Raton Police Department, a boater reported seeing a body just after 8 a.m. Officers responded and a dive team later recovered the remains. Brennan was identified shortly after recovery. Officials have not released details about the condition of the body or whether foul play is suspected, and the investigation remains active.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including Boca Raton Fire Rescue, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard, police said in a post on X. PEOPLE has contacted Boca Raton Police for additional comment.
Brennan previously served a prison sentence related to the 2014 death of her mother, Regina Suknaic. Court records reviewed by PEOPLE show Brennan was originally charged in May 2014 with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. She reached a plea agreement, pleaded no contest, and in September 2016 was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation, receiving credit for 839 days already served. Records indicate she was released from custody in November 2022.
Reporting by The Palm Beach Post, CBS 12 and NBC Miami says Suknaic, then 76, was discovered with stab wounds outside a home she shared with her daughter. Those outlets reported that Suknaic told officers Brennan had stabbed her, struck her with a vodka bottle and held her captive for roughly 13 hours before Suknaic escaped, was hospitalized and died several days later. Investigators at the scene reportedly found a blood-stained butcher knife and a bloodied vodka bottle. Court documents note that Brennan struggled with bipolar disorder and that several initial charges were later dropped or downgraded.
In a separate incident, Brennan was arrested in October 2023 in Pensacola on a trespassing charge at a hospital; she was booked into the Escambia County Jail and later released with a 14-day supply of medication, The Palm Beach Post reported.
Note: This article summarizes official statements and reporting by local outlets. We will update when authorities provide further details.
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