http://swpare.blogspot.com/2013/10/40th-anniversary-of-debbie-makel-murder.html
Fellow Blogger who has been following a 40 year old murder mystery of a young girl
A fellow Blogger who likes to travel around and explore western pa like I di also has found info on a muder from 40 years ago which he goes into depth on.
http://swpare.blogspot.com/2013/10/40th-anniversary-of-debbie-makel-murder.html
http://swpare.blogspot.com/2013/10/40th-anniversary-of-debbie-makel-murder.html
Pittsburgh Girl missing 50 + years no trace. But lots of theory's and another from Beaver County 4 years earlier never found as well
I was very young when Maryann Verdecchia went missing after leaving for school and no trace of here has ever been found. My late friend Grizzly claimed the school janitor grabbed her and killed her and put her body in the school incinerator to dispose of it.
The accused janitor is long gone and not talking and there was even a site dug up in Baldwin Boro near where a school on Brownsville road is was where a man claimed when he was a kid he saw a minister bury
body near by but there has been so much ground movement there is no way to ever know.
body near by but there has been so much ground movement there is no way to ever know.
I know a Former Scoutmaster who at one time was an auxiliary police officer who helped to look for Mary
Ann and it haunts him to this day they could not find her.
Again the question has to be asked if there is ,or has been an active serial killer or killers in these parts.
Haunted 13 Bends Road in Harmar twp is there any truth to it? or the other 13 bend road in Boston Pa.
A local legend which persists to this day is about 2 roads Campbells run road in Harmarville which can be accessed near the old Harmar Mine and another at the end of the Boston bridge as you go over Pa route 48
in Boston towards Elizabeth. you turn left on to a road with 13 bends that's dead ended.
The story goes that an orphanage was located along the road and there was a terrible fire there and many of the children died and if you park along the road while dark and put baby powder on your vehicles windows that the children s hand prints will appear as will there images in your rear view window as drive away scared at your encounter of their hand prints and you will be chased down the roads by mysterious cars at night .
None of this is the truth and nothing to it as far as I or any one else can determine.
Even more bizarre is how the 13 bends road in Harmarville fits into the picture.
There was in fact an old orphanage which sat along Renzie Road way back off the road which burned in Boston area but it was well after it closed and fell into disrepair no children s or adults life where lost.
In fact a very similar type fire happened over in the McDonald / Burgettstown Pa area where old orphanage /Juvenile home vacant many years and back an impassable road burned down last summer.
It seems too many people have too much time on their hands to make up a bunch of hog wash intended to scare people like no face charlie the green man and others.
the 13 bends you go down you count 13 you come back up you count 12 also nonsense
Now other than the fact these roads are in dark isolated spooky areas there is nothing to it. The roads do not even have 13 bends look up the coordinates on Google earth.
Now whats weird about this whole situation is how 2 towns same 2 stories partial truth to both story's
just like the green man story he was only in one town yet he was supposedly in south park
now that's weird . Did some one like a story so well they made up the story and brought it to there own town? Appears so.
in Boston towards Elizabeth. you turn left on to a road with 13 bends that's dead ended.
The story goes that an orphanage was located along the road and there was a terrible fire there and many of the children died and if you park along the road while dark and put baby powder on your vehicles windows that the children s hand prints will appear as will there images in your rear view window as drive away scared at your encounter of their hand prints and you will be chased down the roads by mysterious cars at night .
Even more bizarre is how the 13 bends road in Harmarville fits into the picture.
There was in fact an old orphanage which sat along Renzie Road way back off the road which burned in Boston area but it was well after it closed and fell into disrepair no children s or adults life where lost.
In fact a very similar type fire happened over in the McDonald / Burgettstown Pa area where old orphanage /Juvenile home vacant many years and back an impassable road burned down last summer.
It seems too many people have too much time on their hands to make up a bunch of hog wash intended to scare people like no face charlie the green man and others.
the 13 bends you go down you count 13 you come back up you count 12 also nonsense
Now other than the fact these roads are in dark isolated spooky areas there is nothing to it. The roads do not even have 13 bends look up the coordinates on Google earth.
Now whats weird about this whole situation is how 2 towns same 2 stories partial truth to both story's
just like the green man story he was only in one town yet he was supposedly in south park
now that's weird . Did some one like a story so well they made up the story and brought it to there own town? Appears so.
Ghosts of a deadly 1927 national labor strike which came to Harmar Coal Mine comes back to haunt crew building new Hulton Bridge
As you ride over the soon to be replaced Hulton Bridge named for a local politician in Oakmont Pa. you cross into Harmarville now known as Harmar twp. and its like two completely different worlds.
Oakmont a wealthy river town Harmarville a blue collar working town with a coal mine and small industry.
The mine which shut down in the 1980's produced bituminous coal used in the production of steel
but in 1927 it became embroiled like many other coal mines across the nation in a bitter fight to unionize coal miners. and Harmar like other mines called in the Coal & Iron Police a private commissioned Police force
that was nothing more than legalized thugs and which would eventually turn into the Pa. State police.
http://debs.indstate.edu/a505s5_1928.pdf
Oakmont a wealthy river town Harmarville a blue collar working town with a coal mine and small industry.
but in 1927 it became embroiled like many other coal mines across the nation in a bitter fight to unionize coal miners. and Harmar like other mines called in the Coal & Iron Police a private commissioned Police force
that was nothing more than legalized thugs and which would eventually turn into the Pa. State police.
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| Harmar Coal Memorial near fire station |
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| Typical Coal & iron badge and officers below |
These thugs had absolute power and as the violence in nearby Russelton poured into the valley
The Coal and Iron police committed assaults and murder at will .
During the time period it was rumored that many a miner who had pushed to unionize disappeared
into the Allegheny River off the Hulton bridge wrapped in chains and dropped into the river.
Rumors of these tales went on for decades .
But then the state decided to replace the very old Hulton bridge with a new bridge and as engineers started exploring the old river basin under bridge. low and behold they started finding many lengths of chain as reported in the papers.
So it looks like the rumors where true. Even my friend Grizzly talked about the Coal & Iron Police dropping body's off the bridge as well. Of course every one is ready to poo poo the whole thing as you will find chain and every imaginable thing in the river but to find as much as they did where they did you have to wonder.
besides the story's of what went on during the strike there is also a road nearby rumored to be haunted as well called 13 bends which I will be writing about as well. and all this with in minutes of unsolved missing people and killing of a Verona Cop.
Murder of Small Town Butler County Police Chief goes on 30 +years unsolved
Saxonburg is a sleepy little town in Butler County off of Route 228 not much goes on there except for the annual Penns Colony Festival and fireman's parade .
That was till one cold December morning in 1980 then Police Chief Gregory Adams a family man and greatly loved by the town was found shot and bleeding to death in the Agway Supply company parking Lot and a notorious criminal is suspected of committing the heinous act but which has never been proved is still on the run .
That was till one cold December morning in 1980 then Police Chief Gregory Adams a family man and greatly loved by the town was found shot and bleeding to death in the Agway Supply company parking Lot and a notorious criminal is suspected of committing the heinous act but which has never been proved is still on the run .
nid=1129&dat=198101http://news.google.com/newspapers?09&id=R4BIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1747,1193968
The man suspected of doing the crime a known criminal Donald Eugene Webb was believed to be in the small town to scope out a jewelry store for a burglary and has never been heard from again other than in a letter sent to local FBI office supposedly sent by him in which also claims he did not shoot the chief .
If he is still alive he would be a very old man by now.
You might think small town jeweler how much could he have gotten in this case? Well as you can see from the pictures above this small town had money. It also has a small company at the time which would grow into a leading developer of commercial lasers.
So he might have been after the jewelry store.
But he could have also been there to scope out wealthy home owners as well for a burglary or even some of the local business if he suspected they had something of value but that would take extensive knowledge he did not have of the businesses in town all small and no payroll to hit and besides he was a burglar not a stick up man and by then business payed by check not by cash kept in a safe over night and burglarizing a commercial business was not his thing. He was looking for things he could easily fence or sell without question . If it even was him and since he is not talking know one knows for sure but he looks good for the crime as they say.
Why FBI and police have come to this conclusion has never been fully disclosed .
But near this town a young girl named Cheery Mahan Disappeared. a few years later in 85
So he might have been after the jewelry store.
But he could have also been there to scope out wealthy home owners as well for a burglary or even some of the local business if he suspected they had something of value but that would take extensive knowledge he did not have of the businesses in town all small and no payroll to hit and besides he was a burglar not a stick up man and by then business payed by check not by cash kept in a safe over night and burglarizing a commercial business was not his thing. He was looking for things he could easily fence or sell without question . If it even was him and since he is not talking know one knows for sure but he looks good for the crime as they say.
Why FBI and police have come to this conclusion has never been fully disclosed .
But near this town a young girl named Cheery Mahan Disappeared. a few years later in 85
never to be heard from again and maybe it was not Webb at all but the person responsible for her disappearance as well a criminal with nothing to loose unlike Webb who at most would have done a few years and been back on the streets why would Webb shoot the officer very unlike a serial burglar to do something like this. Like I have said in other articles I believe a serial killer or killers has been operating in these parts for many years now and if I am right and this person was stopped and the chief become suspicious of them you can understand why he was shot. But shot by a career criminal burglar? I leave that conclusion up to you .
40 Acres in Baldwin Boro a great place for young men to have fun and adventure and an area with its own 30+ years mysteries
Bounded by Becks Run Road , Glass Run Road and E. Carson Street also known as Pa Route 837
40 Acres which is mostly in Baldwin Boro ( Not to be confused with Baldwin Twp.)
Has been the playground for kids and young adults for many decades an abandoned piece of property due to fact of the numerous coal mines under its thickly wooded hill sides it has been lore to many tales and legends none of which seems to bare out . However there has also been its share of Criminal activity as well from underage drinking party's to stolen cars being dumped and stripped to an occasional body dump and suicide victim so as kids you never went alone at least in pairs and with a knife or club as a weapon in case you ran into trouble exploring its vast area and its old coal mine workings all of which have been sealed after couple kids got lost in a mine one time you could also have sticks catch on fire in the many holes from underground mine fires which popped up all thru the property . Supposedly there are still miners body's in one of the old shafts after a collapse and explosion but I have not as yet been able to verify it. There was even an attempt to develop the property which has fallen thru after Charles Betters bought it and wanted to build a casino and race track. He has done some digging and removing of surface coal but that's about it with some housing being built .The Old J&L Steel Research Center is long closed and now a private school for at risk adjudicated youth .
As a young man I spent many a Saturday afternoon exploring the area and luckily never ran into any bogie men but we where always ready. I have been wanting to go back and retrace my foot steps but my health has prevented it.
The place pretty much stayed out of the news till one valentines day in 1980 when a Michael Rosenbloom from Shady side went missing along E. Carson Street where his girlfriends car was found he was driving and Baldwin Police impounded it. and it started a fire storm of controversy that Baldwin Police
covered up or where involved in his disappearance . All of which I believe was a big bunch of Hog Wash and nothing more than a bad decision to CYA regarding the back dated letter when they realized they screwed up and State Attorney General agreed and found no wrong doing on the part of Baldwin Police unfortunately it would put a black mark on them regardless which is a shame they have many highly professional officers on the force as I have interactions with them with customers property's and to see what this force had to go thru was just wrong.
As you read thru the various articles you will see all the controversy and also the fact a mysterious skull showed up during the search which also and has not been identified . So what happened to Michael?
good question.
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| site where Michaels car was found |
Was one of his dealers or some one he possibly cheated after him and caught up to him along E. Carson?
Years later A young iron worker and drug user from suburbs would disappear in next door Homestead and it was determined he was killed chopped up and disposed of so it not out of the realm of happening.
This whole area is a hot bed for drug dealing a car wash on Becks Run road I put a security system into in 90's was often the site where junkies from suburbs would meet dealers from St. Clair Village section 8 housing up off Becks Run as the suburban kiddies where afraid to go up there we caught many a suspected drug transaction on the car washes cameras.
This whole area is a hot bed for drug dealing a car wash on Becks Run road I put a security system into in 90's was often the site where junkies from suburbs would meet dealers from St. Clair Village section 8 housing up off Becks Run as the suburban kiddies where afraid to go up there we caught many a suspected drug transaction on the car washes cameras.
Did he end up in the river and drown as a result of his drug use?
never saw that the river was even checked . You also have railroad and an old oil terminal now gone and scrap yard where any of these places checked dd he go for help?
Was he picked up by a robber highway man type killed and dumped some where?
There are always rumors of body's being dumped down old mine shafts and there are documented cases of it happening.
Was he even a victim of a serial killer?
Like I said I really think one has been operating around here
There is also another possibility at that time there where many Russian Immigrants who moved into and around the area and rumors of the Russian Mob operating in the area involved with drugs and if he crossed them.
There is also another possibility at that time there where many Russian Immigrants who moved into and around the area and rumors of the Russian Mob operating in the area involved with drugs and if he crossed them.
To make it even more interesting this is also close to where the mysterious B-25 bomber went into the river and was never found also. But thats a story in it self.
They are all possibilities and we will never know till a body is found if ever or some one confesses like in the Homestead case and as far as I know the reward for $25,000 is still being offered. I feel bad for the family not knowing all these years. and hopefully they will have closure some day.
2 young Tarentum boys go out to play in cold and disappear over 30 years and no clues Was it the River Hag / Witch?
Up the Allegheny River from me is the town of Tarentum Pa.
a small working class town with a big industrial stainless steel mill one of the last in the county.
and one day 2 young boys Jon Debkowski and Gabriel Meinarcin went out to play after school in December of 1982 and disappeared never to be seen again .
A woman claimed she saw 2 boys who matched the description playing among the river ice a very dangerous thing to do.
and one day 2 young boys Jon Debkowski and Gabriel Meinarcin went out to play after school in December of 1982 and disappeared never to be seen again .
A woman claimed she saw 2 boys who matched the description playing among the river ice a very dangerous thing to do.
Blood Hounds traced the kids scent to the river but nothing was ever found of them not one trace to say they where their and fell in or where abducted.
But one Psychic claimed they would be found under the ice near where Bull creek enters the river.
Divers looked and nothing was found ,how ever Bull creek it self has a legend of an Old Hag or River Witch who has the power to attract children to the creek where she grabs them and drowns them. Now most people will poo poo this or say they never heard such a bizarre thing. But I personally meet a woman named Rose who lost a young brother in the creek near the old tour ed coal mine entrance many years ago in 60's when he slipped under the very fast and strong waters and she claims she saw the image of the Old Hag in the creek ,who grabbed and kept him down under the creeks water and she could not rescue him. No one believed her then saying it was her imagination and hysteria playing games with her .In the 70's as a boy scout I helped with a stream improvement project in the upper section of Bull Creek and can attest to the strong currents . But plenty of dead body's have shown up in that part of river and the creek as well as drownings over the decades.
is there anything to the Hag probably not but the rumors persist and the creek and river have always been an attractive nu-sense.
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| Bull Run and Allegheny River |
Now there is a very strong under tow in the Allegheny River which is very deceiving and can grab and drag you down in its current I know I swam in the upper river as a young boy scout and 2 different times did the 150 mile boot & paddle canoe trip from Tionesta to Pittsburgh.
I will never forget going thru one of the locks at one of the dams higher up the river and when we came out the hat of a young man hanging on a branch stuck in a small island below the dam this was all they ever found of him that summer when he was swimming and got too close to dam while on a fishing trip in 1974. and people who do drown in the 3 rivers around here are often found miles down in Ohio and W. Virginia if their lucky to be found at all. but 3-4 body's a month show up in the 3 rivers around this area month after month be it accident ,suicide or murder.
So I have a very healthy respect for the rivers and I am always on my guard around them.
Just like the river men tell you beware of snakes on the deck.
Where the kids kidnapped by a pedophile that's also a possibility as well plenty of known sex offenders reside in the area. I have long suspected a pedophile or serial killer in the area.How hard would it have been for some one to pull up looking like a detective and take the kids away . Just like in the movie " Mystic River" There are plenty of cases of motorists being pulled over by phony cops in this area and I see plenty of suspicious looking detective /security like vehicles which I check out who they are because of the problems we have had in the past.I Call 911 when I see detectives pulling people over and it does not look right so it can be checked out .
We have a case going on right now in Indiana county where some one claimed to be a detective was shaking down a gun shop owner over an illegal lottery and killed him in his gun shop.He also was recently charged with assault when he tried to detain a young men in cuffs for throwing corn kernels at him .
thou at time I thought he was just some one being kind but then good thing I did not because you never know.
But dozens of people go missing in this area of Pa yearly never to be seen again.
Stanley B. Hoss Jr. a Bogie Man who left behind many Unanswered Questions
When I was a firefighter at Penn Hills station 224 we often had interaction with Verona Police Officers right on border of our territory One day while we where on an extended call in Verona and while tending the engine I got into talking with a young officer controlling the scene . He was saying how safe he felt being an officer in a small town which did not see all the action like big city dept did. I said to him I would never leave caution to the wind and for him to ask his chief who Stanley B. Hoss Jr. was . Needless to say after he talked to his chief he changed his mind.
Because Stanley Hoss Jr. had killed a Verona Officer many years ago. in September 19 of 1969 along Plum Street on the Verona Oakmont Line on Plum Street after escaping from the now gone Allegheny County Work House Jail now RIDC Industrial Park.It would close a couple years after the escape. I still remember the work house and its towers and guards with shot guns walking the wall's riding by as a kid in the family car . I drove up and down Plum Street many years and shopped in very lot where Stanley killed the Verona officer and never realized it till my friend Grizzly told me the story. Apparently Hoss escaped stole a car came over Highland park bridge up Allegheny River blvd passing the jail on opposite side of river maybe to thumb his nose at them then was spotted by the Verona Patrolman who stopped him in the parking lot and was then shot and killed.
http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/15169847/article-Pittsburgh-attorney-reflects-on-crime-spree-that-shook-nation-?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column
Ironically while working at the Bank Centre as a maintenance man the gentleman who would re-leave me in evenings worked at the work house as the stationary engineer and often told of the day Stanley escaped and caused general chaos in the place as it was locked down . I would also make life long friends with my 12th grade biology teacher Barbara Novasol whose family owned property next to the jails apple orchards inmates maintained and I often got to explore the old no longer used orchards when I stayed with Barbara's family during the summer and took care of there property as a young man and her cousin Tony Skotak who owned property next to them on a couple different occasions had caught escapees trying to get away from the orchards and marched them by shot gun back to the jail.
But this is not the first time Stanley B. Hoss name has come up in conversation a late friend of mine Noel McCarthy who everyone called Grizzly knew Stanley Hoss as well he lived right near by him when he lived on the now realigned Saxonburg Blvd. at Pa.route 910 intersection the home Stanley lived in was demolished in the realignment he was a young man when grizzly knew him and he was trouble even then out stealing cars and such. In one of the Pittsburgh Internet news groups a relative of Stanley's appeared one time inquiring about his relative needless to say he was pretty shocked when rumors he heard about him where confirmed .
So it only seems appropriate a book titled "Born to Lose " which was also the tattoo Stanley sported would some day be written about him before his name was lost to history.
When I was a young child in 69 ,Stanley Hoss was like the bogie man as people would say his name to scare you and as this was a time when racial tensions where high and riots in city's was going on it just intensified things.
Yes they would catch Stanley and he would die in prison but not before revealing what he did with a woman and her daughter he kidnapped in Maryland and surely murdered and dumped there body's some where
before he was captured. But the memory's are fading and any one who had any interaction with him are now well into there 70's-80's and or have passed on so chances are the Mother and child remains will never be found or if they are it will be many years from now and hopefully they will be able to be identified and given proper burial and rest as for Stanley B. Hoss Jr. I am sure he is roasting some where in the bowels of Hell .
Because Stanley Hoss Jr. had killed a Verona Officer many years ago. in September 19 of 1969 along Plum Street on the Verona Oakmont Line on Plum Street after escaping from the now gone Allegheny County Work House Jail now RIDC Industrial Park.It would close a couple years after the escape. I still remember the work house and its towers and guards with shot guns walking the wall's riding by as a kid in the family car . I drove up and down Plum Street many years and shopped in very lot where Stanley killed the Verona officer and never realized it till my friend Grizzly told me the story. Apparently Hoss escaped stole a car came over Highland park bridge up Allegheny River blvd passing the jail on opposite side of river maybe to thumb his nose at them then was spotted by the Verona Patrolman who stopped him in the parking lot and was then shot and killed.
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| AVR & Plum Street |
Ironically while working at the Bank Centre as a maintenance man the gentleman who would re-leave me in evenings worked at the work house as the stationary engineer and often told of the day Stanley escaped and caused general chaos in the place as it was locked down . I would also make life long friends with my 12th grade biology teacher Barbara Novasol whose family owned property next to the jails apple orchards inmates maintained and I often got to explore the old no longer used orchards when I stayed with Barbara's family during the summer and took care of there property as a young man and her cousin Tony Skotak who owned property next to them on a couple different occasions had caught escapees trying to get away from the orchards and marched them by shot gun back to the jail.
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| RIDC Park |
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| Pa.910 & Saxonburg Blvd. |
So it only seems appropriate a book titled "Born to Lose " which was also the tattoo Stanley sported would some day be written about him before his name was lost to history.
When I was a young child in 69 ,Stanley Hoss was like the bogie man as people would say his name to scare you and as this was a time when racial tensions where high and riots in city's was going on it just intensified things.
Yes they would catch Stanley and he would die in prison but not before revealing what he did with a woman and her daughter he kidnapped in Maryland and surely murdered and dumped there body's some where
before he was captured. But the memory's are fading and any one who had any interaction with him are now well into there 70's-80's and or have passed on so chances are the Mother and child remains will never be found or if they are it will be many years from now and hopefully they will be able to be identified and given proper burial and rest as for Stanley B. Hoss Jr. I am sure he is roasting some where in the bowels of Hell .
Legend of Hangman's Hollow in Penn Hills is there anything to it?
If you have lived or known any one who lives in eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh almost everyone can tell you tales of Hangman's Hollow in Penn Hills . Its a spooky , creepy and lonely road thru swampy nasty colored ponds along old Frankstown Road . I have heard the tales ever since I have lived out this way of a tree in the hollow with a long hanging branch with supposed rope marks which was used by the KKK to conduct lynchings in late 1890's to early 1920' .
I have never ever found any of the tales to be true of any lynchings But the Klan was active in this area and supposedly still is and was even supposedly lead at one time by a Penn hills policeman who no nobody can remember there name. But there have been body's found there many being dumped by the Mob or other killers and in one case I came upon in 1958 newspaper article where a car with man and women was found in the pond . Not sure if it was an accident or suicide which has also happened along the road.
Now tales of hangman's hollow are numerous all over the country as are the story's of the Green Man who
was a real person who lived in Beaver county but there is no evidence he was ever in South park in Allegheny county or any where else , all just rumors made up to scare girlfriends etc. when out driving late on a date so they would hold on to you tightly .
Just like the supposed Wood Chopper legend along Hulton & Indiana road of a man who killed his wife and her lover with an ax and you could hear him chopping wood along the road when you yelled his name . Turns out the noise they where hearing was an old Oil well pumping.
But it makes for good entertainment and we all love a good scary movie once and a while.
How ever there have been real ax murders committed in W.Pa. area over the years.
Plus Penn Hills with all its dark and windy hollows and gulleys has a creepy feel to it to begin with .
So if you really want to go check out the Hangman's Hollow the easiest way to find it is to follow Saltsburg Road just over the Penn Hills Border to Davidson road go down the road and at the bottom you are in Hangmans Hollow hang a right and go thru whats left of the ponds etc by Golf Ridge drive as a housing plan has been put in that took up part of the old hollow as well as commercial business that has expanded and filled in many of the ponds . Be careful while down there because its isolated and limited cell service should you encounter something wrong.
I have never ever found any of the tales to be true of any lynchings But the Klan was active in this area and supposedly still is and was even supposedly lead at one time by a Penn hills policeman who no nobody can remember there name. But there have been body's found there many being dumped by the Mob or other killers and in one case I came upon in 1958 newspaper article where a car with man and women was found in the pond . Not sure if it was an accident or suicide which has also happened along the road.
was a real person who lived in Beaver county but there is no evidence he was ever in South park in Allegheny county or any where else , all just rumors made up to scare girlfriends etc. when out driving late on a date so they would hold on to you tightly .
But it makes for good entertainment and we all love a good scary movie once and a while.
How ever there have been real ax murders committed in W.Pa. area over the years.
Plus Penn Hills with all its dark and windy hollows and gulleys has a creepy feel to it to begin with .
So if you really want to go check out the Hangman's Hollow the easiest way to find it is to follow Saltsburg Road just over the Penn Hills Border to Davidson road go down the road and at the bottom you are in Hangmans Hollow hang a right and go thru whats left of the ponds etc by Golf Ridge drive as a housing plan has been put in that took up part of the old hollow as well as commercial business that has expanded and filled in many of the ponds . Be careful while down there because its isolated and limited cell service should you encounter something wrong.
A young Boy goes missing in McKees Rocks over 20 years a blundered search and a similar case in 78 also unsolved
McKees Rocks is a Blue Collar town just outside Pittsburgh with a history of Labor Disputes , Violence, Murder, Arson , Explosions and Deadly Fires which also has an Indian mound which was desecrated and said to put a curse upon the people . So it is no wonder there are so many unsolved cases in this town including 3 murders listed in this article
But lets discuss the 1991 case first.
8 year old Wille Majewski went fishing along Chartiers creek on a chilly November 12th in 1991 when he was reported missing and possibly drowned .
What took place next was a total boon dongle First off they made the mistake of allowing the Now Disbanded Allegheny County Delta Team to get involved with the search instead of first calling a search & rescue team with search dogs before all trace of scent of the missing person is lost.
But this was not the case and the scene was contaminated . Then to make matters worse The Delta Team rolls out this tracked vehicle and they start rolling it all thru the fields destroying any chance of a ground search with dogs finding any clues . It was a total complete mess and any chance of finding the boy was lost on the first day.
Luckily W. Pa. officials have learned over the years with missing individuals and many have been successfully recovered because they call in the right people to do the search and do not allow scene to get contaminated .
Now if Willie did fall into the creek chances are his body should have been recovered out in the back channel of the Ohio River near the mouth of the creek as an old marina that's been there for many years should have snagged the body but this was not the case . That spring McKeesrocks Firefighters even took a boat all around the back channel and marina etc looking for any trace hoping Willies body would pop up but they found nothing and since his disappearance there has also been a deck hand taking care of barges in the back channel who disappeared few years back never to be found. There where rumors fueled by a psychic that Willie was abducted and with family members as his parents had went thru a nasty separation but it was never substantiated. There is also the possibility of a pedophile being involved as well as Pittsburgh has had more than its share of them exposed especially since the internet has evolved.
One thing they talk about the river men who work along the Ohio river banks is they always warn you to be aware of "Snakes on the Deck " things that can trip you etc and send you into the river and this includes criminals of all kind and homeless people who prowl around the rivers .
What happened to Willie is not clear because no one saw him fall in the creek or leave the area and head for home or some where else. So its one of those situations where you have to believe he drowned.
But till remains are found we will never know and fowl play you can never rule that out with a town with such a violent history.
Interestingly while researching Willies case I ran across this forgotten case but young man was seen slipping into the creek .
I was actually in Mr. Mancinis club day before he was murdered to give him a bid on some electrical work after a friend recommended me to Mr. Mancini .You can imagine how shocked I was seeing this on news the next morning . Needless to say I never did the work and friend who recommended me was just as shocked it happened .
But lets discuss the 1991 case first.
8 year old Wille Majewski went fishing along Chartiers creek on a chilly November 12th in 1991 when he was reported missing and possibly drowned .
What took place next was a total boon dongle First off they made the mistake of allowing the Now Disbanded Allegheny County Delta Team to get involved with the search instead of first calling a search & rescue team with search dogs before all trace of scent of the missing person is lost.
But this was not the case and the scene was contaminated . Then to make matters worse The Delta Team rolls out this tracked vehicle and they start rolling it all thru the fields destroying any chance of a ground search with dogs finding any clues . It was a total complete mess and any chance of finding the boy was lost on the first day.
Now if Willie did fall into the creek chances are his body should have been recovered out in the back channel of the Ohio River near the mouth of the creek as an old marina that's been there for many years should have snagged the body but this was not the case . That spring McKeesrocks Firefighters even took a boat all around the back channel and marina etc looking for any trace hoping Willies body would pop up but they found nothing and since his disappearance there has also been a deck hand taking care of barges in the back channel who disappeared few years back never to be found. There where rumors fueled by a psychic that Willie was abducted and with family members as his parents had went thru a nasty separation but it was never substantiated. There is also the possibility of a pedophile being involved as well as Pittsburgh has had more than its share of them exposed especially since the internet has evolved.
One thing they talk about the river men who work along the Ohio river banks is they always warn you to be aware of "Snakes on the Deck " things that can trip you etc and send you into the river and this includes criminals of all kind and homeless people who prowl around the rivers .
What happened to Willie is not clear because no one saw him fall in the creek or leave the area and head for home or some where else. So its one of those situations where you have to believe he drowned.
But till remains are found we will never know and fowl play you can never rule that out with a town with such a violent history.
Interestingly while researching Willies case I ran across this forgotten case but young man was seen slipping into the creek .
Smiley face Killers where they here in W. Pa. ? Do they even exist ?
Once again a senseless tragedy a young vibrant male college student attends a off campus party and goes missing and is found drowned shortly there after in a pond or river . With plenty of questions how did he end up in the water. Plenty of people go to party's get drunk and do not end up drowned. How could this happen
While it is easy to say alcohol had something to do with it and it is just a tragic accident what if it was not? What if in fact an organized group of individuals are responsible for it happening? Crazy sounding ? Well maybe not so crazy after you have read numerous articles and heard these 2 retired NY detectives on various radio shows talk about the Smiley Face Killers.
A case where when college students body's are found nearby a smiley face and similar markings are found painted on structures big rocks etc. as crazy as this sounds and I am not suggesting this is one of those cases there seems to be way too many young college men ending up drowned who never should have been where they where found. Read the evidence these detectives present at following links and decide for your self are there Smiley face Killers or is it all hog wash?
I know one thing for sure living in Pittsburgh a city with 3 rivers and working nearby the rivers first as a security guard and many years now in my business, which some times involves working on repairing tow boats or docks . Workers warn you about being aware of snakes on the decks. and with good reason. When several times a month missing people are found in the 3 rivers be it by accidentally falling , suicide or foul play. There really could be something to this. Yes I have even seen smiley faces painted as well along our rivers.
There have also been several cases which same details as found with smiley face killings right here in W. Pa. Including a college football player found drown in Monongahela river in California Pa. and University of Pittsburgh student found drowned in the river as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_face_murder_theory
While it is easy to say alcohol had something to do with it and it is just a tragic accident what if it was not? What if in fact an organized group of individuals are responsible for it happening? Crazy sounding ? Well maybe not so crazy after you have read numerous articles and heard these 2 retired NY detectives on various radio shows talk about the Smiley Face Killers.
A case where when college students body's are found nearby a smiley face and similar markings are found painted on structures big rocks etc. as crazy as this sounds and I am not suggesting this is one of those cases there seems to be way too many young college men ending up drowned who never should have been where they where found. Read the evidence these detectives present at following links and decide for your self are there Smiley face Killers or is it all hog wash?
I know one thing for sure living in Pittsburgh a city with 3 rivers and working nearby the rivers first as a security guard and many years now in my business, which some times involves working on repairing tow boats or docks . Workers warn you about being aware of snakes on the decks. and with good reason. When several times a month missing people are found in the 3 rivers be it by accidentally falling , suicide or foul play. There really could be something to this. Yes I have even seen smiley faces painted as well along our rivers.
There have also been several cases which same details as found with smiley face killings right here in W. Pa. Including a college football player found drown in Monongahela river in California Pa. and University of Pittsburgh student found drowned in the river as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_face_murder_theory
Who would dig up a 100 year old boys grave ? Plus Human Bones found under an old Butler Hospital floor? 2 strange goings on in Butler county
Why in deed would anyone dig up the grave of a boy who died 100 years ago .In one of the strangest cases around some one digs up a grave of a boy killed by a train nearly 100 years ago .
Could it be dark witchcraft or satanists at work?Possibly they found something in grave they needed for a ceremony ?
Who knows very strange in deed Some one looking for treasure? well what ever it was that caused them to dig it up we will probably never know .
Then around same time this happened under the wooden floors of the Old Butler Memorial Hospital which was turned into apartments and is visible at the towns entrance as you go over the bridge on Pa Route 8 they have found what appears to be human bones as well which there has not been anything in news with either of these incidents in last 3 years since they happened.
Butler County has many more mystery's as well including all types of disappearances and unsolved murders more than any other county in Western Pa.
Tales of bodies being dumped in old coal mine shafts and alien UFO and big foot Activity yes you have it all in Butler County which I will be discussing in upcoming articles.
Who knows very strange in deed Some one looking for treasure? well what ever it was that caused them to dig it up we will probably never know .
Then around same time this happened under the wooden floors of the Old Butler Memorial Hospital which was turned into apartments and is visible at the towns entrance as you go over the bridge on Pa Route 8 they have found what appears to be human bones as well which there has not been anything in news with either of these incidents in last 3 years since they happened.
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| Old yellow brick butler hospital on right along hill side |
Tales of bodies being dumped in old coal mine shafts and alien UFO and big foot Activity yes you have it all in Butler County which I will be discussing in upcoming articles.
Beloved Beer Merchants Murder still unsolved after almost 10 years
I ride by the place at the intersection of Lowries Run Road & Rochester Road all the time I do not drink adult beverages so I have never been in there but those who I know have always said Joe was the greatest when it came to knowing his customers and taking care of them . That was till one cold October night in 2006 when they found Joe laying out in his parking lot shot dead by unknown assailants
A possible robbery gone wrong the full details have never been released other than it happened late in the evening .
Was it some one he knew ? was it an argument over something ? possible was it transients traveling thru the area taking advantage of a store sitting back in from road the way it does? very possible with I -279 a mile away but either scenario is possible and still a very cold case with no leads and no video Joe did not have a camera system either a big mistake and sitting back from the road and lighting not very good was an open invitation to trouble even in relatively quiet Ross Twp.
but it is not that quiet the Ross Park Mall and business around it on McKnight Road also known as Truck -US-19 have attracted the wrong elements from the North Side and North View Heights Projects of Pittsburgh to travel out and cause problems and its just as likely it could have been some one from there .
But so far all leads have panned out.
I hope they find and bring Joes killer to justice some day but that day is likely to be a long time away.
Armored Courier looses its load of money and creates a massive search for money taken from scene
A colorful alarm dealer I knew who owned an alarm company which provided services to banks often came into same 2 alarm supply houses I use for buying parts from and he was always fascinating guy to talk to. Self made and hard working he built a small empire servicing the smaller independent banks around Western Pa. along with owning several other small business. But he recently passed a shock to us all who knew him.
Unfortunately in the weeks leading up to his passing one of his company's Fidelity Courier Service had the back doors of one of there vans fall open along Pa. 19 in Upper St. Clair near a small office park and money go everywhere. people stopped some took a handful and took off to be captured and arrested later and and some stopped and helped gather it up before police arrived. only $400.00 recovered .
However 2 young men in a small white pickup scooped up one of the bags with thousands of dollars and fled the scene and Local police and FBI has been trying to track them down since .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/bank-courier-van-loses-ba_0_n_1122389.html
Now this behavior of people to do this came as a shock to many as Upper St. Clair and community's surrounding it is a very influential area you would not expect those traveling in this area to do such things but it did. People no matter there stature in life seem to act like ignorant pigs when given the opportunity.
You would think with all the technology and resources of FBI those 2 men would have been found out by now especially if all of sudden two guys show up in new cars etc. or all of a sudden are big spenders at the casino but this does not appear to be the case there either sitting on it waiting for statute of limitations to run or there spending it a little at a time.
Now with all the cameras along that stretch of road you think something would have caught them or some one would have squealed on them but its been almost 4 years and nothing and in another 2 years the statues will be run and the colorful alarm company guy I knew will never of had the satisfaction of getting the money back after all the criticism his company received for not doing a better job securing the money in the van.
Unfortunately in the weeks leading up to his passing one of his company's Fidelity Courier Service had the back doors of one of there vans fall open along Pa. 19 in Upper St. Clair near a small office park and money go everywhere. people stopped some took a handful and took off to be captured and arrested later and and some stopped and helped gather it up before police arrived. only $400.00 recovered .
However 2 young men in a small white pickup scooped up one of the bags with thousands of dollars and fled the scene and Local police and FBI has been trying to track them down since .
Now this behavior of people to do this came as a shock to many as Upper St. Clair and community's surrounding it is a very influential area you would not expect those traveling in this area to do such things but it did. People no matter there stature in life seem to act like ignorant pigs when given the opportunity.
You would think with all the technology and resources of FBI those 2 men would have been found out by now especially if all of sudden two guys show up in new cars etc. or all of a sudden are big spenders at the casino but this does not appear to be the case there either sitting on it waiting for statute of limitations to run or there spending it a little at a time.
Now with all the cameras along that stretch of road you think something would have caught them or some one would have squealed on them but its been almost 4 years and nothing and in another 2 years the statues will be run and the colorful alarm company guy I knew will never of had the satisfaction of getting the money back after all the criticism his company received for not doing a better job securing the money in the van.
Still unsolved after 30 +years 2.3 Million Dollar Purolater Armored headquarters Robbery
When I worked for the now closed holmes protection in 1980 some evenings whenI was not on road handling call I would be in central office in the old 6th street garage where Mellon Center is now located I would get a call from a Guard at the Purolator Headquarters in Brentwood/ Carrick area to verify all alarms armed and set.
After I left holmes and there terribly run alarm company never thought about Purolater again but in March of 1982 when the place was closing up and a single guard was on duty 2 men would come in and say they where FBI and when the single guard let down his guard they grabbed and bound him and made off with 2.3 million dollars in untraceable cash.
To this day it is unsolved though a couple of names have come up over the years said to be involved but at this point the statute of limitations has long run and no one will be prosecuted because there was no violence involved.
After I left holmes and there terribly run alarm company never thought about Purolater again but in March of 1982 when the place was closing up and a single guard was on duty 2 men would come in and say they where FBI and when the single guard let down his guard they grabbed and bound him and made off with 2.3 million dollars in untraceable cash.
To this day it is unsolved though a couple of names have come up over the years said to be involved but at this point the statute of limitations has long run and no one will be prosecuted because there was no violence involved.
When the crime happened I immediately called the FBI these criminals had to be working on inside information and told them to make sure they look into all the guys working at holmes as we all knew only one guard was on when they closed I do not know if they ever looked into it and never received a follow up call.
So if they ever checked the lead out I do not know.
But who ever pulled it off definitely had inside info as almost no one who lived in Carrick and Brentwood even knew the place existed in a back alley behind Brownsville Road there is just a garage door and no signage and no indication the place even exists it looks like every other back alley door along the alley.
So if it was not some one from Purolator involved it had to be some one who provided service or who even built and or repaired or cleaned the place or people who lived or worked in rest of the building upstairs.
Many leads to check out and chase but apparently none that lead any where. Who ever these two men are and who ever helped them has never been discovered and remember this was a time when all the mills where going down and people where desperate so a little information could be easily bought and loose tongues in bars of laid off employees from places did not help.
Well executed and planned Bank Robbery in Burgettstown was like a made for TV movie still unsolved to this day
If you ever saw the Clint Eastwood movie Thunderbolt & Light Foot
it is about a group of criminals planing and executing a big bank robbery by way of a home invasion to tie up the bank president so he can not notify police and distracting and then tieing up the guy monitoring the alarms at a central monitoring station as well.
Well a very similar plot played on in spring of 1986 in Burgettstown. except with an interesting twist.
it is about a group of criminals planing and executing a big bank robbery by way of a home invasion to tie up the bank president so he can not notify police and distracting and then tieing up the guy monitoring the alarms at a central monitoring station as well.
Well a very similar plot played on in spring of 1986 in Burgettstown. except with an interesting twist.
An elderly couple who happen to monitor panic buttons etc for the Mellon bank in their home also happen to be the radio dispatchers for the Burgettstown and several other small town Police are invaded and tied up and then the Mellon bank in Burgettstown is sacked and thieves and money is gone never to be traced a total cold case. In what the time was a very rural area till it started being developed in 90's.
So the question who pulled it off obliviously some one had to know the couple where doing the monitoring
so was it a town resident involved? or town resident who may have been arrested and talked about how easy the pickings would be while in prison?
How about the people who serviced the radios or the alarms ? Or could it even have been a well organised nationally travelling ring of criminals who looked for these opportunity's ?
Of course the first question is why where this elderly couple doing dispatching and monitoring alarms in there home in the first place?
Well before massive UL Listed Central Stations with fortifications and security systems in place where popular many unusual places served and still serve as monitoring points including Telephone Answering Services and even Gas Stations out west .
Most very soft targets and criminals knew it and took advantage of it and these crimes where carefully kept from the press and TV when they where attacked. When I first was involved with alarms and had other dealers monitoring my accounts I thought they had hardened facility's they did not they where using answering services with no protection needless to say I found out how easy it was to just walk in and take a place over and now use a very good UL listed service
Today attacking a Central station is futile with back up systems in place and fully supervised communications and alternative central station set ups at the flip of a switch . But there are still plenty of the small soft targets out there if you know where to look. But criminals have gotten much more sophisticated when it comes to eluding capture and why risk getting your plan blown when dealing with 2 sites when you can hit one be on an interstate in 5 minutes and be gone.
Some one some where knows what went on in Burgettsown that day and some one may eventually pay for the crime but the clock is ticking away.
Unsolved industrial Park Arson in Turtle Creek was it part of plan to get rich when Mon Valley Expressway came thru?
It was 1995 and there where two visions one a family's quest to to turn a former Copper Mill in Turtle Creek into a small viable industrial park the other the Pa. Turnpike Commission completing of the Mon Valley Expressway both seen as a means to create and keep jobs in a valley decimated when Westinghouse and steel mills closed .
Both dreams dashed one by an Arson Fire the other by lack of funds with possibility one may some day be completed.
Both dreams dashed one by an Arson Fire the other by lack of funds with possibility one may some day be completed.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19950308&id=V-FRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mW4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4520,4467536
Yes in 1995 the Mon Valley expressway- MVE was in full swing as property was being acquired and cement was being laid in Fayette and Washington county's. the ambitious project to have a continuous toll road from I-68 near Morgantown W.Va. to Pittsburgh thru the Mon Valley would bring jobs and industry .
Unfortunately it has only been fully built to Elizabeth just over Allegheny County line but at the time there was a proposal to extend it from near the Squirrel Hill Tunnels in Pittsburgh I-376 to Penn Hills by way of a spur which would go thru Braddock and up thru East Pittsburgh and Turtle Creek. Yes right thru where the old Westinghouse Copper Mill was located.
And every where the proposed route was going there where Arson Fires especially in Hazel Wood section of Pittsburgh, plus Braddock and Duquesne and in Duquesne there was also talk of expanding Kennywood with a water park and a new development in Cochratowne section of Duquesne both of which have not been done .
Just as soon as it was announced the Turnpike had run out of funds and MVE was on indefinite hold the fires almost all stopped as well.
So you can see why it is so suspicious the fire at the copper mill may well have been something to do with the MVE being built what better way to run down property values and get property owners to sell quickly and get out of a bad area. Have some shill buyers buy up the property's and then thru a series of shell company's sell it all at a handsome price to the turnpike commission .
But all the fire accomplish was destroy a valley and business around it like in the picture below where a hotel/bar once sat on now vacant lot. the whole neighborhood now a slum when it would have been very viable had the Arson Fire not occurred.
I saw video of the fie during an Arson investigators class taught by the late Larry Boyle and like Larry said some one knows and sooner or later is going to brag about it and some one snitch on them. and hopefully those behind these development by Arson fires all around western Pa. will be held accountable as it goes on all the time .
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| Remains of old Copper mill |
Yes in 1995 the Mon Valley expressway- MVE was in full swing as property was being acquired and cement was being laid in Fayette and Washington county's. the ambitious project to have a continuous toll road from I-68 near Morgantown W.Va. to Pittsburgh thru the Mon Valley would bring jobs and industry .
Unfortunately it has only been fully built to Elizabeth just over Allegheny County line but at the time there was a proposal to extend it from near the Squirrel Hill Tunnels in Pittsburgh I-376 to Penn Hills by way of a spur which would go thru Braddock and up thru East Pittsburgh and Turtle Creek. Yes right thru where the old Westinghouse Copper Mill was located.
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| MVE Gateway |
And every where the proposed route was going there where Arson Fires especially in Hazel Wood section of Pittsburgh, plus Braddock and Duquesne and in Duquesne there was also talk of expanding Kennywood with a water park and a new development in Cochratowne section of Duquesne both of which have not been done .
Just as soon as it was announced the Turnpike had run out of funds and MVE was on indefinite hold the fires almost all stopped as well.
So you can see why it is so suspicious the fire at the copper mill may well have been something to do with the MVE being built what better way to run down property values and get property owners to sell quickly and get out of a bad area. Have some shill buyers buy up the property's and then thru a series of shell company's sell it all at a handsome price to the turnpike commission .
But all the fire accomplish was destroy a valley and business around it like in the picture below where a hotel/bar once sat on now vacant lot. the whole neighborhood now a slum when it would have been very viable had the Arson Fire not occurred.
No such thing as a Coincidence
ARSON VALLEY
OR URBAN REDEVELOPMENT
BY FIRE?
WHO IS THE PROFITEER
There is a valley in the City of Pittsburgh Pa. Which Pa. Route 51 runs thru other wise known as Sawmill Run Blvd. Pa. 51 runs from the Ohio Line near E. Palestine South to Union Town approx 100 miles
But I call it Arson Valley since I was a small child in the 60’s there has been many major arson and suspicious fires all along the approx 10-mile stretch of Pa.51, which runs thru the city
From the West End Bridge to Brentwood Pa. So many fires in such a small area I call it arson valley.
One of the first fires I remember was a Bar at the corner of Edge Brooke Rd. and 51 in the 60’s now a big parking lot. Another big fire was in a very large bar and a restaurant replaced nightclub at Bausmann and 51which
Tambellinis which it self had a fire and was destroyed on southern Ave. which connects to 51 from Warrington Ave.
Southern Ave was also the scene of many bad residential fires 10 family members lost their lives in a fire
And off of Bausmann Ave. runs Knox Ave., which also saw a fire, which claimed a family of 10 including children.
The Motor Cycle business still at its same location 1 block from Bausmann saw a fire, as did the thrift store
Directly across from bausmann.
1 block down from Bausmann you have the Liberty tubes and bridge. Businesses on all 4 corners suffered suspicious or arson fires. The happy dragon restaurant and 2 Syrian restaurants. The long abandoned
Lumber yard burned and an arson fire. W. Liberty ave has been the scene of numerous Suspicious and arson fires as well The liberty tube business are all gone having been replaced by a new cloverleaf to eliminate traffic back ups.
Down the road from the tunnels. A hillside full of businesses has also seen fires. Including the old Mays dept store warehouse and Seco Manufacturing now closed. And fires back in a little community called seldom scene because t is totally boxed in. the community no longer exists a now extinct transit project came thru and was never completed.
And starting in the West End there have been numerous arson fires and a fire bombing during the 60’s riots
Going the other direction past Bausmann and Liberty there have again been numerous fires.
The old Country Belle Dairy arson, Ronnie’s Tire a fire destroyed the business possibly electrical in nature which also seems to happen a lot in this valley across from Ronnie’s, Sunset auto destroyed by fire when a car caught fire .All with in a block of the bar which caught fire. Directly beside The old country bell dairy
Sat a big old dive of a bar called the barn again destroyed by arson a convenience store sits in the location.
One time in the late 80’s while driving home from work late at night I saw what looked like a storm sewer on fire in the street directly across from the motorcycle shop that had the fire. I stopped and called the fire dept from a payphone up the street and when they arrived to investigate I showed them which grate and we found remnants of a large beer bottle which had been used as a Molotov cocktail and was apparently meant for a business but as I came up the road my lights must have spooked them.
I never received a follow up, call, which is typical in Pittsburgh.
There have been numerous fires with cars in auto repair garages along 51
One business had 2 fires each time a different owner. And Brentwood has seen its share of fires as well along 51 Versharins a large grocery burned to the ground as well as its old green houses in Mt Oliver, which is located along Bausmann. All along 51 you will find boarded up closed business most owned by a pair of brothers who deliberately keep them slummy and whom Brentwood is always fighting with to clean up businesses move in and out frequently as the owners jack up rates continuously and make no repairs.
But Brentwood as well as no other community along 51 has anywhere near the amount of fires the city of Pittsburgh has had along this particular stretch. Some communities Like McKee’s Rocks and Aliquippa
Have had a small rash of fires along 51 in fact I know of no other stretch of road with such a deadly legacy of fires aprox.170+ fires over 40 years
So who is responsible? One theory is real estate speculators. 51 is only 2 lanes each direction and needs to be expanded as well the creek running thru the area needs scooped out and covered. Buy the property cheap after a fire has whipped out an owner with no insurance and when the state or transit agency comes thru big profits after waiting 20-30 years.
And with the liberty tubes cloverleaf project some people saw big profits as the cloverleaf was planned in the 30’s but not put into place till the 90’s people knew sooner or later the property would be worth a fortune. It seems like any time you mention highway or other big plans Arson is not faraway
Bad wiring human error OK but almost 60% of the business in the 10-mile long valley having some type of fire impossible.
OR URBAN REDEVELOPMENT
BY FIRE?
WHO IS THE PROFITEER
There is a valley in the City of Pittsburgh Pa. Which Pa. Route 51 runs thru other wise known as Sawmill Run Blvd. Pa. 51 runs from the Ohio Line near E. Palestine South to Union Town approx 100 miles
But I call it Arson Valley since I was a small child in the 60’s there has been many major arson and suspicious fires all along the approx 10-mile stretch of Pa.51, which runs thru the city
From the West End Bridge to Brentwood Pa. So many fires in such a small area I call it arson valley.
One of the first fires I remember was a Bar at the corner of Edge Brooke Rd. and 51 in the 60’s now a big parking lot. Another big fire was in a very large bar and a restaurant replaced nightclub at Bausmann and 51which
Tambellinis which it self had a fire and was destroyed on southern Ave. which connects to 51 from Warrington Ave.
Southern Ave was also the scene of many bad residential fires 10 family members lost their lives in a fire
And off of Bausmann Ave. runs Knox Ave., which also saw a fire, which claimed a family of 10 including children.
The Motor Cycle business still at its same location 1 block from Bausmann saw a fire, as did the thrift store
 |
| Liberty tunnels almost all buildings around tunnel entrance suffered a fire |
Directly across from bausmann.
1 block down from Bausmann you have the Liberty tubes and bridge. Businesses on all 4 corners suffered suspicious or arson fires. The happy dragon restaurant and 2 Syrian restaurants. The long abandoned
Lumber yard burned and an arson fire. W. Liberty ave has been the scene of numerous Suspicious and arson fires as well The liberty tube business are all gone having been replaced by a new cloverleaf to eliminate traffic back ups.
Down the road from the tunnels. A hillside full of businesses has also seen fires. Including the old Mays dept store warehouse and Seco Manufacturing now closed. And fires back in a little community called seldom scene because t is totally boxed in. the community no longer exists a now extinct transit project came thru and was never completed.
And starting in the West End there have been numerous arson fires and a fire bombing during the 60’s riots
Going the other direction past Bausmann and Liberty there have again been numerous fires.
The old Country Belle Dairy arson, Ronnie’s Tire a fire destroyed the business possibly electrical in nature which also seems to happen a lot in this valley across from Ronnie’s, Sunset auto destroyed by fire when a car caught fire .All with in a block of the bar which caught fire. Directly beside The old country bell dairy
Sat a big old dive of a bar called the barn again destroyed by arson a convenience store sits in the location.
One time in the late 80’s while driving home from work late at night I saw what looked like a storm sewer on fire in the street directly across from the motorcycle shop that had the fire. I stopped and called the fire dept from a payphone up the street and when they arrived to investigate I showed them which grate and we found remnants of a large beer bottle which had been used as a Molotov cocktail and was apparently meant for a business but as I came up the road my lights must have spooked them.
I never received a follow up, call, which is typical in Pittsburgh.
There have been numerous fires with cars in auto repair garages along 51
One business had 2 fires each time a different owner. And Brentwood has seen its share of fires as well along 51 Versharins a large grocery burned to the ground as well as its old green houses in Mt Oliver, which is located along Bausmann. All along 51 you will find boarded up closed business most owned by a pair of brothers who deliberately keep them slummy and whom Brentwood is always fighting with to clean up businesses move in and out frequently as the owners jack up rates continuously and make no repairs.
But Brentwood as well as no other community along 51 has anywhere near the amount of fires the city of Pittsburgh has had along this particular stretch. Some communities Like McKee’s Rocks and Aliquippa
Have had a small rash of fires along 51 in fact I know of no other stretch of road with such a deadly legacy of fires aprox.170+ fires over 40 years
So who is responsible? One theory is real estate speculators. 51 is only 2 lanes each direction and needs to be expanded as well the creek running thru the area needs scooped out and covered. Buy the property cheap after a fire has whipped out an owner with no insurance and when the state or transit agency comes thru big profits after waiting 20-30 years.
And with the liberty tubes cloverleaf project some people saw big profits as the cloverleaf was planned in the 30’s but not put into place till the 90’s people knew sooner or later the property would be worth a fortune. It seems like any time you mention highway or other big plans Arson is not faraway
Bad wiring human error OK but almost 60% of the business in the 10-mile long valley having some type of fire impossible.
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