Cold Case, Unsloved, Whodunnit.

[interested]

Does anyone know if there are any other unsolvrf murders in Amherst? I thought there was one in 1977 or so and the girl had two children and she was found in a ditch. Anyone remember this?

[gorja]

Wasnt there a young girl murdered on Scamridge Curve years ago - maybe in the eighties - that was never solved?

Good memory.

DNA tests recently conducted on the remains of a headless torso found by a fisherman north of Oswego Harbor in 1984 have identified the remains as those of a missing Amherst girl, Amherst and Oswego County authorities announced today.

The remains were found July 14, 1984, just 13 days after Nancy Scamurra, 14, was last seen in her Amherst neighborhood.

The teenager is believed to have had an argument with one of her siblings late that afternoon or early evening, then left her home on Scamridge Curve. She was seen walking toward North Forest Road at about 9:30 p.m. She was never seen again.

For the rest of the story-
Remains of body found in '84 identified as missing Amherst teen

[Mikebuf320]

I was shocked to hear the news that Nancy Scamurra's remains had finally been discovered after all of these years. I'm no detective and nor do I claim to be. However, I do hope law enforcement takes a serious look at convicted Canadian serial killer Paul Bernardo. Bernardo, along with his psychopathic wife Karla Homolka, raped at least a dozen young women in Southern Ontario. He has admitted to killing three. He is also believed to have killed a fourth girl in Hawaii, while on his honeymoon.

"In addition, when Bernardo and Karla were on their honeymoon in Hawaii, a young woman was snatched from her car, raped and murdered. The crime was never solved, but police later found newspaper clippings about it when their house was searched during the Schoolgirl Killings investigation."

This proves that he was willing to rape/murder outside his comfort zone (Southern Ontario).

He was also known to have spent considerable time in WNY during his 20's. He smuggled cigarettes across the border. One of his known murder victims was Leslie Mahaffy, 14. She was found two weeks after she disappeared, in a lake. Her arms and head had been cut off. Scamurra, 14, was found 13 days after she disappeared. She, too, had been dismembered and disposed of in a lake. This similarity, and the fact that thankfully, there are very few sickos like this around, leads me to think they should take a serious look at Bernardo. He would have been 20-21 at the time of Scamurra's disappearance. He was 23 when he had raped at least 12 women in Southern Ontario.

Someone else could very well be responsible for Scamurra's murder. However, if they were to name Bernardo, it would not shock me at all. And I can't believe his wife is a free woman. After the crimes she helped him commit, she should never have been allowed outside of a prison cell.

[Michele F]

How about the unsolved murder of a young girl 13 yrs old in Buffalo, NY 1984. 28 years & still unsolved. She was my best friend & its just sickens me that there is no justice for her!

[Member 2358]

Two and a half years later. Anyone know if any of the cold cases discussed here have been solved.. or any progress? The Transit/Wehrle Wendy's; Girl in ditch n Transit; Nancy Scamurra; etc?

[JR17140]

I was wondering the same about the Wendy's cold case murder from 1991. Last article in the paper about it was from 1997?.....http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-22942335.html

[grump]

We ought to sic those two ugly hags from Cold Justice on TNT on the trail

[Member 2358]

This is an article from 2012. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...in_oswego.html

From what I understand, her mother has passed, and her father & brothers are said to be uncooperative... or at the very least rather silent. Hmmm.

I read that - at least at one time in 2008 - the case was in the hands of the Amherst Police Special Victims Unit... specifically Lt Joseph LaCorte. I woner if that's still the case? Is Lt LaCorte still with the APD?

Anyone have any info about this?

[HipKat]

Ugh!! LaCorte. That names brings back bad memories of many of us who grew up in Amherst in the 70's and 80's.

[Member 2358]

Ugh!! LaCorte. That names brings back bad memories of many of us who grew up in Amherst in the 70's and 80's.

Ha! I have no idea about Lt LaCorte's reputation with the youth of the town. Whatever.

Seems to me that Nancy Jo Scamurra's case would still be on his plate. No matter what interaction he had with kids, I think the disappearance and murder of a 14 year old trumps it.

[Member 2358]

Oops. OK. Lt LaCorte has recently retired. I wonder whose plate Nancy Jo Scamurra's case in on now? Kinda noticeable that in the following linked Amherst Bee piece about his retirement there is no mention of this case whatsoever. Not sure if that's because it isn't in the forefront for LaCorte... or if the Amherst Bee didn't find it noteworthy to include in the story(?).

http://www.amherstbee.com/news/2014-...ice_force.html

[JR17140]

Wendy's cold case murder from 1991.

[sharky]

How about Russell Mort, who went missing in 1982 from Lynch's trailer park on River Rd. in Wheatfield.

had an article a few days ago
http://wivb.com/2015/05/14/missing-p...gone-feelings/

[gorja]

That poor mother. All these years and no answers

[Mike M]

If you grew up in NT, you're familiar with the name Mandy Steingasser, whose body was found at Bonds Lake. In NT, there's still a strong suspicion of who killed her.

---

Tona News:
"Mandy Steingasser, a 17-year- old North Tonawanda High School student, was last seen alive on Sept. 19, 1993, on her way to a First Avenue party. Her body was found more than a month later on Oct. 25 at Bonds Lake Park near Lewiston. No arrests have ever been made.

It’s North Tonawanda’s only homicide cold case.

“We handle all our investigations the same way,” said Lt. Tom Krantz of the North Tonawanda Police Department. “We keep going out, interviewing people with leads and discovering new leads.”

Krantz, who is assigned to the case and is working on it with the Niagara County

District Attorney’s office, goes through the file once every several months, he said.".

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Link to other area cold cases:
http://www.tonawanda-news.com/local/...049004538.html

From a few days ago --> http://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/vide...d-526781507762