No human remains found during search in connection to 1980s Pittsburgh cold case

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Police Cold Case unit searched for answers in a decades-old case on Monday.

Police and a plumbing company dug in Perry South, on Bonvue Street where a home used to be.

“We’re making sure we didn’t just fluff it off and not take it seriously,” Pittsburgh Police cold case detective George Satler told Channel 11

When cold case Detective Satler got a call about a possible body buried on Bonvue Street in Perry North, he wanted to make sure he followed up on every lead.

>>> Pittsburgh police cold case unit will search land for human remains next week

The call came from a woman, who is now in her 40s, but has a memory of her father possibly burning a body back in the early 1980′s — when she was 4 years old.

“It had been bothering her, and it came back. I did ask her why she hadn’t called sooner, and she mentioned it had been bothering her, and was on her mind over the years,” he said.

After looking into the case, Detective Satler discovered there could be some legitimacy

“What made it a little bit more believable was the fact that this individual was her father, and was investigated for a homicide in Maine.

The father’s name is Thomas Smith, and Detective Satler confirmed with Maine State Police that he was questioned in the death and disappearance of Pamela Webb, who was murdered on the way to visit her boyfriend in New Hampshire.

Crews did not find a body on Bonvue Street, but neighbors were stunned that the dig search was happening on their small street.

“Unbelievable. I hope they solve the mystery for the families. It’s sad but it is intriguing have to say,” neighbor Michele Wine said.

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