Post by admin4laney on Oct 3, 2005 6:58:42 GMT -5
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Searching the Indiana side of the Ohio River earlier this month did not turn up any new leads in the Alana “Laney” Gwinner murder cold case.
Gwinner, of what is now West Chester Twp., disappeared the night of Dec. 10, 1997, from Gilmore Lanes in Fairfield, where she was playing pool with friends. She left between 12:30 and 1 a.m. in her vehicle, telling one friend she was going to visit her boyfriend just three miles away.
On Jan. 11, 1998, Gwinner’s body was found more than 50 miles away from home in the Ohio River near Warsaw, Ky. No suspect in her killing has been named.
“We came up with a lot of things, but nothing that we were interested in,” said Detective Frank Smith, lead investigator for the Butler County Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit, of the river search.
Hamilton, Butler and Clermont county sheriffs’ departments and Boone County’s Task 1 searched the west side of the Ohio River from the mouth of the Great Miami River almost into Rising Sun, Ind. They were looking for Gwinner’s 1993 Honda del Sol and other clues in her mysterious death.
The cause of death is still undetermined, although Smith said some experts have said it appears she had been strangled.
Smith’s unit is four months into the cold case investigation.
“We’re really just getting started,” he said.
In previous successful cold case investigations, Smith said, it has taken anywhere from one to two years.
“We’re still working on it seven days a week. We will continue to work on it,” Smith said.
Anyone involved in Gwinner’s life is a suspect, Smith said, and the only way to rule out someone 100 percent is to make an arrest.
“We have several individuals that we are looking at,” Smith said.
The boyfriend, who no longer lives in Fairfield, is considered a suspect but has cooperated 100 percent with investigators, Smith said.
The publicly known facts of the case leave off at Gwinner’s body being found, but Smith said there are other facts known in the case. He would not say what else since the case is under investigation.
More than 100 interviews and numerous polygraph tests have been administered, Smith said.
Smith said the east side of the Ohio River will be searched from Warsaw, Ky., to the Cincinnati city limits, as well as another search of the Great Miami River. In the river searches, high-tech search equipment had been used. Smith said there are two undisclosed areas investigators will search.
“A lot of people have forgotten about this terrible atrocity, but I can assure you the sheriff’s department cold case unit has not and we will not,” Smith said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Smith at 785-1236 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.
Contact Michael D. Pitman at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com
Searching the Indiana side of the Ohio River earlier this month did not turn up any new leads in the Alana “Laney” Gwinner murder cold case.
Gwinner, of what is now West Chester Twp., disappeared the night of Dec. 10, 1997, from Gilmore Lanes in Fairfield, where she was playing pool with friends. She left between 12:30 and 1 a.m. in her vehicle, telling one friend she was going to visit her boyfriend just three miles away.
On Jan. 11, 1998, Gwinner’s body was found more than 50 miles away from home in the Ohio River near Warsaw, Ky. No suspect in her killing has been named.
“We came up with a lot of things, but nothing that we were interested in,” said Detective Frank Smith, lead investigator for the Butler County Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit, of the river search.
Hamilton, Butler and Clermont county sheriffs’ departments and Boone County’s Task 1 searched the west side of the Ohio River from the mouth of the Great Miami River almost into Rising Sun, Ind. They were looking for Gwinner’s 1993 Honda del Sol and other clues in her mysterious death.
The cause of death is still undetermined, although Smith said some experts have said it appears she had been strangled.
Smith’s unit is four months into the cold case investigation.
“We’re really just getting started,” he said.
In previous successful cold case investigations, Smith said, it has taken anywhere from one to two years.
“We’re still working on it seven days a week. We will continue to work on it,” Smith said.
Anyone involved in Gwinner’s life is a suspect, Smith said, and the only way to rule out someone 100 percent is to make an arrest.
“We have several individuals that we are looking at,” Smith said.
The boyfriend, who no longer lives in Fairfield, is considered a suspect but has cooperated 100 percent with investigators, Smith said.
The publicly known facts of the case leave off at Gwinner’s body being found, but Smith said there are other facts known in the case. He would not say what else since the case is under investigation.
More than 100 interviews and numerous polygraph tests have been administered, Smith said.
Smith said the east side of the Ohio River will be searched from Warsaw, Ky., to the Cincinnati city limits, as well as another search of the Great Miami River. In the river searches, high-tech search equipment had been used. Smith said there are two undisclosed areas investigators will search.
“A lot of people have forgotten about this terrible atrocity, but I can assure you the sheriff’s department cold case unit has not and we will not,” Smith said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Smith at 785-1236 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.
Contact Michael D. Pitman at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com
