“We’re getting close. We’re getting close. A lot of movement today,” said Roseville Police Chief Mitch Berlin.
That’s the message on day two of the search at the Pine Tree Acres landfill in Lenox Township. Investigators did not find Ashley Elkins's remains but are confident they will.
Monday's story: Officials search Lenox Twp. landfill in connection to missing Warren mother case
Over a dozen law enforcement agencies, other departments, as well as over 50 officers are working to find evidence in the disappearance of Ashley Elkins.
“I think it’s moving in the right direction, and we’re going to continue to our targeted area,” said Berlin.
That targeted area is a certain depth below ground. Investigators are using a pair of bulldozers to push away layer after layer of soil and debris on a six-and-a-half acre plot at the landfill. After each pass, a team of officers follows behind the bulldozers, searching the grounds to find Elkins's remains or evidence of it.
“It’s a lot of work labor intensive, but we’re up to the task. We got a lot of officers from a lot of departments - not one complaint up there. Just hitting it and getting it done,” said Berlin.
Investigators are also putting a pair of Ohio Department of Natural Resources cadaver dogs to work in their search at the landfill. The canines are good to have on board but could be thrown off course.
“There’s other flesh in there, there’s meat scraps, there’s a lot of different things that you have to get through to find the remains that you’re looking for,” said Bill Petersen.
We talked with Peterson, a retired Detroit Police homicide lieutenant and Oakland County cold case investigator, about the case. He has decades of experience and says the fact police have already whittled down their search area is crucial.
“If they’ve narrowed it down that much, then they’ve got a bit of a head start to finding what they need. Still not going to be easy, but they’ve got a headstart,” said Petersen. "It's about narrowing that search area down as much as possible and then starting to search and search and search and search without giving up easily. A matter of persistence.
Meanwhile, Elkins's ex-boyfriend, DeAndre Booker, has been identified as the prime suspect in her disappearance. He’s been charged with lying to police and is behind bars on a $250,000 bond. Those charges could be enhanced if investigators find additional evidence at the landfill.
