Bodies of Two Missing Women Found in Barn
April 3, 2007 07:35 AM
(April 2, 2007) - - Authorities have tentatively identified the bodies of two southtowns women found in a Colden barn over the weekend. News 4's Al Vaughters reports the autopsies show Geraldine Jackson and Nancy Phelps were murdered.
New York State Police Major Christopher Cummings said, "Today, the autopsies were completed on the remains that were found in the Town of Colden on Saturday."
With that, what was a missing persons investigation has turned into a homicide case.
Detectives have now identified the remains of two women found inside barrels at a barn on Irish Road in the Town of Colden Satruday night.
Cummings said, "The two women have been tentatively identified as Geraldine Jackson and Nancy Phelps, the missing women that have sparked this investigation."
87-year-old Geraldine Jackson was first reported missing when her home burned to the ground in December, and 69-year-old Nancy Phelps of Marilla disappeared back in January.
Cummings said, "And that in Miss Jackson's case, the manner was strangulation."
Authorities believe Nancy Phelps was killed by a severe blow to the head.
Erie County Sheriff Timothy Howard said, "Her identification, at this point, has largely been based on the fact that her remains are missing a front tooth, similar and consistent with the tooth that we recovered at the scene back in January."
A neighbor of Jackson, 42-year-old Robert Henchen, has been named as a "person of interest" by police, and is already in custody on burglary charges and a parole violation.
He was known to use the barn where the bodies were found.
Neighbors say, police have been searching this area regularly, even with dogs, so how did they miss the barn?
The barn is owned by Colden Town Justice Carolyn Siegel, and Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark suspects it was an oversight.
Clark said, "You wonder why she didn't let us know, at some point in time earlier, that Henchen, who was plainly a suspect in the disappearance of both women, had access, and used that barn."
Authorities point out, they obtained search warrants for just about everywhere but Justice Siegel's barn.
Then again, when they finally searched it on Saturday, they still didn't have a warrant, but it was with her consent.
http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6316279
