BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON -- Butler County Sheriff's officers took to the land, water and air Friday searching for clues to help solve the mystery of a washed-up torso.
After several hours, authorities apparently did not find anything to help them identify the remains of a 35-year-old white woman whose torso was discovered April 13 along the east bank of the Great Miami River.
"This search is specifically for clues to the torso we found," said Lt. Anthony Dwyer of the sheriff's department. "But we're keeping our eyes open for anything else."
The torso was found by two boys after the river had risen following heavy rains. Friday's search was the second by officers since the grisly discovery. It follows a second rise and fall in the river in the past two weeks that has left uprooted trees and other debris along the river's banks and stuck along the bridge piles.
A team of 15-20 sheriff's officers and Hamilton City police used boats, bikes, a helicopter and trained dogs to comb both banks of the river, beginning where the body was found -- between the Columbia and Main street bridges -- and heading north, Lt. Dwyer said.
During the five-hour search officers did recover several objects including clothing and shoes which will be examined over the weekend. No information on the findings and whether they relate to this or any other Southwest Ohio case will be available until early next week, Lt. Dwyer said.
"We've collected several items, nothing that we believe is specific to the case," Lt. Dwyer said. "We did get some information about the flow of the river, where obstructions are and other demographics about the river."
Don Lewis, whose business backs to the river, watched officers comb the bank Friday and said he doesn't believe the officers will find any clues.
"The river went down and then back up again and down since they found it," Mr. Lewis said. "Everything's washed away. The way that river moves it took everything away. We found washed-up trees."
