Long Island Attorney Found Murdered in Turks and Caicos

A Long Island attorney has been found dead in Turks and Caicos and police believe she was murdered.

The body of Marie Kuhnla, of Wantagh, was found in bushes near the Club Med Turkoise resort on the morning of Oct. 16, according to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. On Monday evening, police said on Facebook that "a murder investigation has now been launched."

Kuhnla, 61, was visiting Turks and Caicos with two other attorneys from the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, ABC 7 reported. She was reported missing on Oct. 15, police said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Marie at this time," police said.

The State Department issued a warning earlier this year about traveling in Turks and Caicos due to increased crime in the island nation. "Violent crime, such as armed robbery, shootings, and home invasions, is common," the State Department warned. "Police presence and emergency response are extremely limited."

Kuhnla's son, Rick Kuhnla, Jr., remembered his mother in a public statement made on Tuesday.

"She was a loving, caring, compassionate woman who I was lucky to have for a mom," he said. "If she saw someone who needed help she would help them."

Rick said that his mother earned her law degree later in life, and spent the last 15 years as a public defender to help those who couldn't otherwise afford a lawyer.

"She was a wonderful woman who brightened the day of everyone who knew her and many who didn't," he said. "She may be gone but the impact she had on the world and inspiration she provided most certainly is not."

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Photos by Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force