Rachel Frislid, found dead in Sayville home, was victim of violence, police say

A Sayville woman found dead in her home Thursday night was the victim of a violent attack, according to Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. 

A family member found Rachel Frislid, 62, unconscious in her Pearl Court home around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Catalina said during a Friday morning news conference at the scene.

Frislid was pronounced dead at the scene, he said, adding that due to the nature of her injuries, police believe she was the victim of a violent attack.

Catalina would not confirm the nature of Frislid's injuries or where in the house she was found. He said police believe it was a targeted attack but did not say whether Frislid shared the home with anyone else. He declined to say whether a suspect was in custody.

Frislid owned Academy Tent Rentals, based in Bohemia, according to its website. A phone call to the number on the website went to voicemail, with a woman's voice on the message giving her name as Rachel.

Eastern Suffolk BOCES confirmed in a statement that Frislid was also an office assistant at the agency. "We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and her Eastern Suffolk BOCES co-workers during this difficult time. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and will provide our full support to her family, friends, and colleagues as the investigation continues," the statement said.

Scott Posner and Meg Shutka, chairman of the board and treasurer of the St. James Chamber of Commerce, respectively, said in phone interviews that Frislid had attended a chamber board meeting Thursday at Deepwells Farm in St. James from about 6 to shortly before 7 p.m.

They said Frislid attended the meeting to help plan the chamber’s annual St. James Day street fair, held in the fall.

"She was a sweet, caring, loving person," Posner said. "We adore working with her and we adore her."

Posner said Frislid’s husband had died several years ago. Shutka said Frislid had also recently lost her mother. But Shutka said the woman she’d come to regard as a friend was also looking forward to a bright future: A grandchild had just been born in Tennessee, where a daughter lived, and she hoped to retire there soon.

Susan Wrigley, who lives a block from the scene, said she was shocked by the news. "It’s frightening, because it's a very quiet neighborhood," Wrigley said. "It's scary that somebody would do something, take it to that extreme."

Newsday's Andrew Ehinger contributed to this story.

Check back for updates on this developing story.