Human Remains NOT Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic

May 28, 2009

According to Illinois State Police, a forensic crime lab has determined human remains found in the Des Plaines River last week are not those of Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic. DNA testing has revealed that the headless, armless skeleton is that of an unidentified male.

Authorities have yet to comment on the man's race; however they have said that shreds of blue jeans and a small amount of money have been recovered in the area where the remains were found. In addition, two additional bones have since been found in the same area.

"I think we left ourselves open to this possibility. We're disappointed," Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for Peterson's family, told chicagotribune.com. "But we're still moving forward, doing the searches, doing the investigation. We're continuing. We're still hopeful that eventually we'll find Stacy."

In an interview with the same Web site, Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Stebic's family, expressed similar sentiments.

"It's disappointing," Greenberg said. "There's no grave to visit. Even if we hadn't had all of her, it would have made all the difference in the world to put her to rest with dignity."

So while the remains are not those of a missing female, they have now prompted speculation that they could belong to one of a number of missing men from the Chicago area. One of those men, John "Chicago Johnny" Spira, a popular Chicago musician who went missing in February 2007, was recently covered in this blog. John's sister, Stephanie McNeil, is used to the roller coaster ride of false hope, so she is hesitant to get her hopes up.

"I’m not thinking or hoping that it’s John. I am hoping they are able to positively identify the remains soon so some family can get a little closure," Stephanie wrote in a post she made today at johnspira.com. "I have contacted the Will County Coroner’s office so that they are aware of John’s case. It would be nice if the national media would put the spotlight on John’s case based on this recent revelation but they just don’t do missing men."

An investigation to identify the remains is still under way. No word yet on how long that will take.

Update: According to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, DNA test results show the remains are not John Spira.

Related Link:
Stacy Peterson Found? Get all the Latest Details
Drew Peterson Charged with Murder of Kathleen Savio
The Mysterious Disappearance of John "Chicago Johnny" Spira

Photo Credits: Des Plaines River: David Lohr; John Spira: Contributed

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Visit Investigation Discovery's new Missing Person information and resource page at:
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Day 33: Where's Brittanee Marie Drexel?

May 27, 2009

Thirty-three days have passed, and there still has been no sign of Brittanee Marie Drexel, a 17-year-old girl from Rochester, N.Y., who disappeared after a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach last month.

"At this point in the investigation, we continue to devote our utmost attention to this case in hopes of a timely conclusion," reads a recent statement released to the "Dr. Phil" show by Myrtle Beach police. "While we have not named any persons of interest or suspects, we have not ruled anyone out. It would not be feasible on our part to do this, because we don't know what happened."

Despite the fact that police say there have been no new leads, Brittanee's family is not yet ready to give up. Brittanee's mother, Dawn Drexel, along with several other friends and family members continue to search for Brittanee in both the Myrtle Beach and Charleston areas.

"We can't lose hope," Brittanee's grandmother, Carol Wagner, said in an interview with wmbfnews.com. "She's got to be out there somewhere. Somebody has to know where she is. I can't lose hope. She's our pride and joy."

A series of fundraisers that have been held in Brittanee's hometown of Rochester have helped cover the search expenses. The most recent event, a dinner held on May 22, raised more than three thousand dollars.

"Dawn will not give up," family friend, Jennifer DiMaggio, said in an interview with whec.com. "Dawn will stay down there until they find Brittanee."

Meanwhile, members of 3 View Search Services, an Indiana-based search and recovery group, continue to digitally enhance and filter thousands of aerial photos that were taken earlier this month, in an effort to identify anything that looks out of place, such as shapes that might be a body or a new dig site.

Aerial imaging has been successful in other missing person cases, including the search for 36-year-old Charles Rickey -- a man who went missing in Carmel, Ind., two years ago. In that case, the search team knew that Rickey was wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans, so they were able to use a computerized photo imaging system to make the color blue in the pictures show up as red. As a result, they were able to locate Rickey's remains in a quarry near 96th St. and the Hazel Dell Pkwy.

It remains unknown whether the same technology can be used to locate Brittanee; however, the fact that people are still looking should bring some comfort to her family.

Brittanee Marie Drexel was last seen on the night of April 25, when she left the Bluewater Resort to return an item of clothing to a friend at the Bar Harbor Hotel. What happened to her after that remains a mystery.

Brittanee is described as a white female, five feet tall, 103 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder-length straight brown hair. She was last seen wearing a multicolored shirt, black shorts and flip flops. According to Dawn, Brittanee was recently diagnosed with depression.

Related Links:
Help find Brittanee Marie Drexel
Where is Brittanee Marie Drexel?
Brittanee Drexel's Mother Fears Daughter Not Alive

Photo Credits: Contributed

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