Chef’s bones found in Florida canal, suspect arrested in murder


Authorities confirmed Friday that the body of a man found in a canal in Wellington, Florida, Thursday was that of a Palm Beach chef missing since last month — and that a 36-year-old Palm Beach County man has been charged in his death.

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The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Stanley Parrales, 49, of Lake Worth.

Authorities on Thursday arrested Robert William Thompson and charged him with second-degree murder in the death of Parrales.

Authorities said Thompson was found in possession of Parrales' tan 2007 Infiniti sedan that had Parrales' blood inside it. Thompson also had credit cards with him that belonged to Parrales and had apparently charged several hundreds of dollars in purchases to them.

Jail records do not list a current address for Thompson. He made his initial court appearance Friday morning at the Palm Beach County Jail. Judge Ted Booras ordered that Thompson be held without bond on the murder charge.

In the event that Thompson is released during a later court hearing, his bond was set at a total of $30,000 for charges of fraudulent use of credit cards, unlawful possession of credit cards and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

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A man who lives with Parrales told deputies he last heard from Parrales on Feb. 16.

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