BOSTON (WHDH) - Marine recruiter Frank Lipka showed his face in court Tuesday for the first time since being named a “person of interest” in the disappearance of recruit Joey Brancato.
The body of Brancato, 21, was found in late March when a driver pulled over along Interstate 95 in Canton spotted human remains. Brancato had been missing since November 2017.
Lipka’s appearance in West Roxbury District Court marked a moment Brancato’s family had long awaited as they continue to seek answers regarding his possible connection to Joey’s death.
“If he came out and people were able to see what he looks like, maybe they’ll say ‘oh yeah, I remember seeing him,’” Joey’s aunt Andrea Brancato-Walke told 7News.
Brancato’s loved ones believe Lipka can help shed some light on what happened. He’s believed to be the last person to see Joey alive.
“We care about Joey. We care about what happened and we want to make sure we keep Frank in jail,” Brancato-Walke said.
Lipka was in court seeking to post bail in order to get out of jail on unrelated charges.
“He is under very strict conditions of release, including GPS and home confinement. He’s going to be staying put and if he takes one step out, he’s going to get picked up,” defense attorney Timothy Bransfield said.
A judge ruled that Lipka must remain behind bars since he didn’t have his passport to turn over to the court.
“He could just disappear into the abyss and we would never get the answers we were looking for,” Brancato-Walke said.
Brancato-Walke took to Facebook, asking people to take a good look at Lipka, who no longer has a military buzz cut and is now sporting facial hair.
“He’s not very tall in stature so that may be a significant clue, Brancato-Walke said.”We’re just going to keep fighting until we figure out what happened.”
Lipka can still post bail if he produces his passport within 48 hours.
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