Was A Missing Florida Paralegal Eaten By Alligators—or Abducted?

Florida waters are notably known for their reptilian inhabitants: alligators. It’s a point of pride and resilience for human residents. Souvenir shops even sell gator heads to curious tourists, and gator meat—a rich source of protein— can be found on restaurant menus throughout the state. Locals respect the power and danger posed by those creatures, so naturally, many wonder why Paola Miranda-Rosa was wading through the infested waters of the Wekiva River on December 18, 2021. 

Miranda-Rosa’s family said that she regularly went swimming there in Wekiwa Springs State Park and found nothing unusual about her taking a dip the day she disappeared. It’s when she never showed up at her sister’s place later that day that they began to worry. 

“Umm yeah, she’s in a gator's belly for sure,” snarked one commenter on Reddit. 

As grim as it sounds, the wag could be right. Standing at 4 feet, 10 inches, Miranda-Rose is small enough to attract a hungry predator. Although the reptiles rarely attack humans, they will seize perceived prey splashing around their territory. In 2015, an alligator bit a woman’s arm off at the shoulder in the Wekiva River.

Miranda-Rosa’s black Chevy was found in the park three days later. That’s when the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation, according to the family. Florida’s WESH 2 News reported that police circulated photos of Miranda-Rosa in the river that were taken by hikers. A park patron caught her on video, too, which was also released to the public. 

There’s a designated natural pool in the park accessible to the public. However, swimming is not permitted in the area Miranda-Rosa chose.

On January 6, 2022, more than 150 officers conducted a three-day search, covering four-and-a-half miles of the 7,000-acre park that included planes, drones, boats, scuba divers, bloodhounds and volunteers on horseback. 

When alligators hunt for game bigger than they can fully digest, they tuck their prey among hard to reach underwater roots for later consumption. Law enforcement used a sophisticated camera system to search areas scuba divers can’t access. Nothing turned up.

The 31-year-old paralegal didn’t go out much. Aside from pampering her two dogs, Miranda-Rosa liked to go shopping or hang out with her best friend and family. According to the Orlando Sentinel, she joined her mother, Ivonne Rosa, and uncle for lunch the day before she went missing. She spoke with her mother the following morning before heading off to the park. They haven’t heard from her since then.

The family told the Spanish-language TV station Telemundo 31 that it was unusual for Miranda-Rose not to stay in contact for such a long time. They recounted that she left her dogs at home, unattended, and the Christmas tree lights were still on—proof to them that she intended to return.

Law enforcement said that Miranda-Rosa suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and had previously threatened to harm herself. Her cousin Cecilia De Léon disputes that. “She was once in a mental institution because she was dealing with personal issues and depression,” she told the Orlando Sentinel, “but she was not bipolar or schizophrenic.” 

The family asserts that Miranda-Rosa was not suicidal, either. 

According to De Léon, police believe an animal ate her and do not suspect foul play. “If that were true, why haven't we found any clues or pieces of clothing at least?" she wondered to the Sentinel.

Nobody wished Miranda-Rosa harm. "We kind of explored that route,” De Léon said. “She didn't have a boyfriend, at that time, didn't really have enemies.”

The family expressed concern that she could be a victim of human trafficking. In a YouTube interview on the Chronicles of Olivia channel in January 2025, De Léon argued that an abductor may choose a state park to target a victim since it lacks federal resources for a thorough investigation. She also noted that a woman was abducted at the same park one year after Miranda-Rosa disappeared.  

In a WESH 2 News report, De Léon claims the Osceola County Sheriff's Office mishandled the case: "They never fingerprinted the car. There was not enough investigation to see if there was foul play." The sheriff’s office did not respond to A&E Crime + Investigation’s request for comment.

To widen the search, the family began petitioning the FBI in 2024, asking the bureau to take over the investigation. In order for a state case to go federal, authorities need to suspect foul play. 

De Léon told Chronicles of Olivia that shoe prints in Miranda-Rosa’s size were found near the area she was last seen, suggesting she exited the river. That, and other clues, have led the family to believe that abduction is a possibility worth pursuing.

Christmas remains a particularly painful time of the year since Miranda-Rosa disappeared a week before the holiday in 2021. In her car was a to-do list of gifts she planned to purchase. She had already bought presents for her dogs, too. "I am confident she is somewhere out there. I am confident she is alive,” her sister Andrea Miranda told the Orlando Sentinel. “And even if she weren't, we need answers. We need closure."