Friends honor memory of Kelly Rothwell, police cadet who vanished a year and a half ago

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - Friends of Kelly Rothwell will mark a year and a half since her disappearance with a candlelight vigil.

Tonight's remembrance ceremony will be followed by a defense class. 

Rothwell vanished in March of 2011 after leaving a restaurant in Clearwater. She was a police cadet at the time and living with her boyfriend, David Perry, in Indian Rocks Beach. Rothwell's friends say she had planned to break off the relationship.

Her car was eventually found about two miles from their home. 

Authorities have repeatedly pointed to Perry as their only "person of interest" in the case. They have also said he refuses to cooperate in their investigation.

Perry has never been arrested related to the disappearance of Kelly Rothwell, though he was arrested in New York in March of this year on unrelated charges of grand larceny. 

Wednesday night's candlelight vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Pro Karate Center at 851 County Road 1 in Palm Harbor.

A free self defense class will follow the ceremony. Rothwell's friends said they believe if she had known how to protect herself, there might have been a different outcome. The public is invited to attend both the vigil and class. 

The Pinellas County Sheriff's office in combination with Rothwell's family and supporters are offering a $50,000 reward in this case.