Post by admin4laney on Feb 27, 2006 7:46:13 GMT -5
2-25
Ohio 4 billboard to keep Gwinner case in people’s minds
By Michael D. Pitman Cox News Service
FAIRFIELD — Butler County’s biggest wanted poster — a billboard — is offering what Sheriff Richard K. Jones says is likely the county’s largest reward.
And Detective Frank Smith, the case lead investigator with the Butler County Sheriff’s Cold Case section, said he is certain Alana “Laney” Gwinner was killed in Fairfield in 1997.
The billboard on Ohio 4, south of Ohio 129 in Hamilton, shows a picture of Gwinner and states a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or people, involved in her death will be issued.
“This case is eight years old and unfortunately a lot of people had forgot about Laney Gwinner. We haven’t forgotten about her,” Smith said.
The sheriff’s office, Butler County Prosecutor’s Office and Crime Stoppers have combined to offer the reward.
“We want to put this person or (these) persons behind bars for life,” Jones said.
Gwinner was 23 of what is now West Chester Township and her body was found in the Warsaw, Ky. area of the Ohio River a month after she went missing.
Smith said there is a “strong person of interest” and said whoever killed Gwinner called a friend to pick him or her up from a river bank to drive them back to Gilmore Lanes in Fairfield.
“We have come to the conclusion that she was abducted and killed in the vicinity of Gilmore and Route 4,” Smith said. “The killer drove her car and deposited it either into the Great Miami or Ohio river.”
Smith said they are looking for anyone who may have received a call from a friend about two weeks before Christmas 1997 to give them a ride back to the bowling alley. The person who received the call will not be charged with any crime, Smith said.
“What you have is a person helping out a buddy,” Smith said.
Smith said evidence shows Gwinner’s body was not exposed to the water for a month, saying her body was likely protected by the vehicle. Attempts to find the vehicle in the Great Miami or Ohio rivers have been unsuccessful.
Jones or Smith would not say who the suspect is or where that person lives, but indicated the person would see the billboard.
The number for Crime Stoppers is incorrect on the billboard, and will be corrected on Monday, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Smith at (513) 785-1236 or Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.
Contact Michael D. Pitman at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.
www.journal-news.com/hp/content/news/stories/2006/02/24/hjn022506gwinner_s.html
Ohio 4 billboard to keep Gwinner case in people’s minds
By Michael D. Pitman Cox News Service
FAIRFIELD — Butler County’s biggest wanted poster — a billboard — is offering what Sheriff Richard K. Jones says is likely the county’s largest reward.
And Detective Frank Smith, the case lead investigator with the Butler County Sheriff’s Cold Case section, said he is certain Alana “Laney” Gwinner was killed in Fairfield in 1997.
The billboard on Ohio 4, south of Ohio 129 in Hamilton, shows a picture of Gwinner and states a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or people, involved in her death will be issued.
“This case is eight years old and unfortunately a lot of people had forgot about Laney Gwinner. We haven’t forgotten about her,” Smith said.
The sheriff’s office, Butler County Prosecutor’s Office and Crime Stoppers have combined to offer the reward.
“We want to put this person or (these) persons behind bars for life,” Jones said.
Gwinner was 23 of what is now West Chester Township and her body was found in the Warsaw, Ky. area of the Ohio River a month after she went missing.
Smith said there is a “strong person of interest” and said whoever killed Gwinner called a friend to pick him or her up from a river bank to drive them back to Gilmore Lanes in Fairfield.
“We have come to the conclusion that she was abducted and killed in the vicinity of Gilmore and Route 4,” Smith said. “The killer drove her car and deposited it either into the Great Miami or Ohio river.”
Smith said they are looking for anyone who may have received a call from a friend about two weeks before Christmas 1997 to give them a ride back to the bowling alley. The person who received the call will not be charged with any crime, Smith said.
“What you have is a person helping out a buddy,” Smith said.
Smith said evidence shows Gwinner’s body was not exposed to the water for a month, saying her body was likely protected by the vehicle. Attempts to find the vehicle in the Great Miami or Ohio rivers have been unsuccessful.
Jones or Smith would not say who the suspect is or where that person lives, but indicated the person would see the billboard.
The number for Crime Stoppers is incorrect on the billboard, and will be corrected on Monday, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Smith at (513) 785-1236 or Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.
Contact Michael D. Pitman at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.
www.journal-news.com/hp/content/news/stories/2006/02/24/hjn022506gwinner_s.html
