OKEECHOBEE- Lindsay DiBetta, daughter of Gary Levin, the 74-year old man who disappeared last week, annouced that he has passed away.

“I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the outpouring love and prayers throughout this nightmare situation,” said DiBetta in a Facebook post. “My dad was truly a one of kind person, if you knew him or even met him once you know exactly what I mean when I say that. The stories I have received about him from friends, family and complete strangers over the last week have lifted me up more than you can ever realize. We will be announcing information on services in my fathers honor in the next few days.”

Around 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, an agent from Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) discovered a decomposed body of an adult male in the 1100 block of North E. 40th Terrace across from the Agri-Civic Center.

Detectives from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office assisted  FDLE agents in processing the scene, and the remains were sent to the Medical Examiner’s office for identification.

The discovery of the remains came a week after a Palm Beach Gardens Lyft driver was last seen in Okeechobee. Before going missing, Levin had picked up a fare on Jan. 30 that began in Delray Beach and ended in Okeechobee.

 DiBetta asked for help locating him on her social media shortly after he went missing. DiBetta said that the last calls and Lyft location data point to her dad being in Okeechobee at around 4 p.m. on Jan. 30 before his phone was turned off.

Three days after he went missing, Levin’s Red 2022 Kia Stinger was involved in a high speed chase in North Carolina that spanned three counties and ultimately ended in a crash. But the 74-year-old Lyft driver was nowhere to be found. Instead, a 35-year-old Arcadia man named Matthew Scott Flores was the lone occupant. Flores was wanted in connection to a murder that occurred on Jan. 24 in Hardee County.

According to the Wauchula Police Department, Flores is currently being charged with second-degree murder for the killing of Jose Carlos Martinez.  Wauchula Police say Stephanie Velgara, who assisted Flores in fleeing from law enforcement in Florida, has also been arrested and is being charged as an accessory after the fact for second-degree murder for the role she played.

“The sadness and the frustration in this is all so much for my family and I,” said DiBetta on Feb. 4. “I appreciate all the reach out and positive prayers. Since this case is being looked at by so many people at this point I have to have faith in our legal system and the people working on it.”

In a Feb. 7 press release, FDLE stated: "The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) today received identification of the victim found deceased in Okeechobee County on Saturday. The family has been notified. Based upon Florida’s victim’s rights law, commonly referred to as Marsy’s Law, FDLE will not release the victim’s identifying information at this time.

"The homicide investigation remains active."