UPDATED 4 PM 10/7 to add quotes and more details.
Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone held a press conference this morning regarding the recent discoveries of human remains along a trail in the Town of Portland.
Police were able to identify the second body as Buffalo native, 50 year old Marquita Mull who was last seen on June 25th and reported missing on July 19th.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mull family in hoping that they can get, perhaps, a level of comfort in knowing where their loved one is,” Quattrone said while making the announcement, “and we’re just going to continue to investigate throughly looking for anybody that may be involved in her disappearance and her death.”
Quattrone said that foul play is suspected in Mull’s death, and it is believed that Mull was killed elsewhere and her body dumped in overgrowth off the trail.
Mull’s body was found about ten yards from where a much older body had been found days before.
The first body has yet to be identified, although inspectors have managed to rule out two possible victims, 36-year-old Corrie Anderson, last seen at a car dealership in Jamestown in 2008, and 26-year-old Lori Bova, last seen eating dinner with her husband in Lakewood. Quattrone said that dental records ruled out both women.
Quattrone said that a portion of the first set of remains are being sent to the State Police lab in Albany to hopefully determine if they are from the third potential victim, 28-year-old Patricia Laemmerhirt, who went missing in April of 1976. Officials have been unable to obtain medical or dental records for Laemmerhirt.
When asked about the possibility of a link between the two bodies, Quattrone was blunt.
“I have no idea. That’s one of those speculations — I don’t want to go there yet. We’re going to chase the facts and look at that. The proximity indicates maybe, but there’s such a timeline between the two, so we’re not sure what that would indicate.”
The investigation continues; anyone with any information is asked to call the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
Michele Lynn Benjamin has been missing since 2007 from Elk County, Pennsylvania.. St. Marys City PD and PSP are the investigating agencies. Foul play suspected.