BLAIRSVILLE —
An investigation into a series of thefts has led state police to discover a barrel containing the remains of a homicide victim in a body of water in Indiana County.
A state police report said the remains were found late Tuesday evening in waters located off Newport Road in Burrell Township about a mile north of Blairsville.
Indiana County Coroner Michael Baker on Wednesday confirmed that the barrel contained human remains and was found in the Conemaugh River.
In a news release, Baker said an autopsy at Allegheny County’s morgue recovered portions of a skeleton and soft tissue. He said that circumstantial evidence provided a tentative identification, but his office was waiting for forensic dental examinations and family notifications before releasing more information about the victim.
Cause of death was pending further tests, but Baker determined the manner of death to be homicide.
Additional information is being withheld because police said they don’t want to tip off possible suspects.
“The people that we want to look at are all going to be dust in the wind” if police release too much information, Cpl. Kirt Allmendinger said.
“At this point, all indicators lead us to believe foul play was involved which ultimately led to the attempted concealment and disposal of the body,” the report said.
Allmendinger’s commander, Lt. Brad Shields, told The Associated Press that the barrel was found as “a spinoff of another investigation.”
“In investigating a series of robberies and burglaries, we developed information that there may be other criminal activity that has occurred that led us to the recovery of the barrel,” Shields said.
Baker said a dive team found the barrel.
Baker said he hopes to complete comparative dental evidence by late Friday.
State police from Indiana and Greensburg are investigating.
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