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Investigators Continue Extensive Bish Search

Searchers Still Scouring Area Where Bone Was Discovered

POSTED: 1:01 pm EDT June 4, 2003
UPDATED: 2:18 pm EDT June 4, 2003

The Bish family is expected to speak publicly on the latest development in the search for their daughter, Molly -- a bone of a teenager found just 500 feet away from where a bathing suit, matching the one worn by the lifeguard when she disappeared, was found

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Newscenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Wednesday's search, comprising of over 100 searchers walking shoulder-to-shoulder and taking small steps, is the largest team of searchers since the 16-year-old first disappeared.

On Tuesday morning John Bish, Bish's father, was in Warren greeting the searchers and thanking them for their efforts, but that was before they made their incredible discovery Tuesday afternoon of a bone belonging to a teenager. The area where the bone was found has been taped off and is secured as a crime scene. Only authorized law enforcement is allowed in.

"We have entrenching tools, military entrenching tools; small shovels if we find anything -- we just brush through it with a shovel," one investigator explained to Huff. "It's heavy pucker brush, there's ledges that we have to climb up. There's no water that we've seen yet."

More K-9 units are involved in Wednesday's search as well.

"They're trying to find anything that is out there. Human remains or anything like that that is what they are trying to find," the investigator said of the dogs.

A forensic anthropologist determined that the bone, found about 500ft from where the bathing suit was found 3 weeks ago, was that of a teen. The suit is believed to be the same suit that Bish's parents bought for her at Kleins All Sport Store at the Holyoke Mall. Both items are at a Virginia lab for testing.

"We're looking for clues and evidence. Anything that may have anything to do with this case, we're looking for it," the investigator added.

Anything found would be tested for DNA.

Magi Bish returned home last night from New York when she got the call late Tuesday that investigators had found a human bone. It turns out that investigators do not have a DNA sample they can use from Bish so a DNA sample from her mother must be used for comparison.

Investigators hope for better luck with the bone but getting a reliable DNA sample may not be easy.

"It's pretty weather-worn so I would guess it's been there a while. I've seen the bone and it's actually pretty weather-worn, " Conte said.

The bone will be tested for two forms of DNA to help determine if it did come from Bish.

The first form is nuclear DNA. It's found in the blood, tissue and bone cells of the living and the dead.

But experts tell the Boston Herald that it degrades rapidly in harsh elements.

The second form of DNA is mitochondrial that is in the structures of cells that provide energy. Investigators say they will likely need that form of DNA along with a sample from Magi Bish to determine if the bone is, in fact, Bish's.

Friends And Family React To Discovery

The town of Warren has been in and out of the spotlight over the past 3-years and the light has never been brighter, except maybe at the very beginning when Bish first disappeared.

Newscenter 5's Jack Harper reported that the Bish family is at home, refusing to come out, having nothing to say. They are indicating that they want privacy.

Last night, Magi Bish came home to hugs having already heard that a bone had been discovered. Two state troopers are stationed near their home to guarantee their privacy. So far the family has decided to let representatives speak for them.

"They remain in need of everyone's prayers and hopes for a positive outcome that will bring some peace to the family," said Bish family spokeswoman Linda Cunningham.

"This has been a 3-year struggle. They've been all over the world looking for Molly and to find out that she never left Warren. And probably fought for her life," said family friend and state Sen. Stephen Brewer.

Brewer and others have indicated that John and Magi Bish may perhaps have something to say Wednesday afternoon. Nothing is definitive at this point.


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