A missing Florida woman has ties with Madison County and officials in Lee County Florida believe she is dead, the victim of domestic homicide.

Authorities suspect Amy Gunther Patterson’s ex-husband, Daniel Ray Proctor a suspect in the crime.

Patterson and Proctor both lived in Madison County for several years. Patterson (then Amy Guenther) graduated from Grissom High School in 1988 and studied at Athens State University.

Alabama court documents shows Proctor has a lengthy criminal history, including a 1988 case of burglary in Madison County, Failure to Appear charges in Houston County in 1989, and Burglary and Assault cases in Madison County in 1994. In the assault case, the victim was his then estranged wife – Amy Proctor.

In an interview with Florida television station, WINK News, Patterson’s mother claims her daughter’s bank account was cleared out by Proctor in the days following her disappearance in late July. The couple’s landlord says Proctor told him that Patterson had been killed in a car accident. Patterson’s family says they were told she went to visit family in Texas. Authorities don’t believe either of those stories are true.

Investigators now say they’ve found Patterson’s car abandoned in Alabama, with a note indicating Proctor may be back in Florida. They believe he stole a 1997 Ford Explorer with Alabama tag 47N82T2, and a .380 handgun after ditching Patterson’s car in Alabama.

Patterson, a Mariner Middle School teacher, had been dating her ex-husband. She has been missing for over a month and the case has received national attention. The story was featured on Nancy Grace of CNN on Wednesday night. Proctor, had been considered a person of interest, but is now considered a suspect, with detectives stating that it is likely Patterson is the victim of a domestic homicide.

Detectives want to speak with Proctor, who has disappeared. A nationwide manhunt is now underway.  Proctor is considered armed and dangerous.

Detectives said Proctor left Florida and abandoned Patterson’s car in Alabama, stole another car and a gun before leaving a note saying he may be heading back to Florida.