family awaits answers after discovery of remains | News, Sports, Jobs

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Buffalo Police Department on what began earlier this summer as a missing person investigation. Mull was last seen on June 25 in Erie County and was reported missing on July 18 to authorities.

“We’ve been working with the Buffalo Police Department since October 1 (when the body was first speculated that the body was Mull), and have a chat with them and share information and they send it back to us, and we’re going to continue.” to work closely with the Buffalo Police Department ”, Sheriff James Quattrone said at a press conference Oct. 7 in Mayville.

Mull’s body was found on September 27 in thick brush at the edge of a Portland city trail – a day after a hiker discovered what he believed to be a human skull and led to the discovery of human remains in a shallow grave about 6 inches deep. When investigators conducted a grid search for further evidence, they came across Mull’s body 10 yards from where the first person was buried. It was estimated that this body had been there for two to six months.

Marquita Mull’s sister Wendy said the family hadn’t learned much more about the investigation since the discovery last month. She said the family are waiting for the remains to be released so the family can organize a funeral.

Buffalo resident Marquita Mull is pictured with Cidney Young. Mull went missing over the summer and his body was discovered on September 27 in the city of Portland. Photos submitted

“Even though she had her problems, she was a great person”, Wendy Mull said in an interview. “I loved him with all my heart. She was so nice, and when she died my heart died.

No official cause of death has been released, Quattrone said on Monday. However, the sheriff told the press conference that the death was suspicious and foul play was suspected.

Marquita Mull had struggled with mental health issues for several years. Wendy Mull said her sister suffered from depression and anxiety, a problem made worse when Marquita Mull was struck around 2012 by a vehicle during a hit and run in Niagara Falls.

“My sister didn’t bother anyone” said Wendy Mull. “We stayed together. I also go through my own problems, and we were talking. The last time we met her at the mall (Walden Galleria), we kissed for 20 minutes. She had a lot of anxiety; she had been through a lot, and when she got hit by that car, that’s what started a lot. She still had problems and it only made her mind worse.

The family remains perplexed as to what may have led to the death of Marquita Mull. They are saddened by the thought that her body has been dumped in rural Chautauqua County, just over an hour from her home in Buffalo. The family knew Marquita Mull had likely been located when investigators requested a description of the missing woman.

“She wasn’t that property that you throw away like garbage” said Wendy Mull. “She was a loving person doing community service. … My sister was the most beautiful person in the world, even with her problems she was compassionate. She tried to contain the mental health issues, and she still had a heart of gold. “

Wendy Mull said she continues to mourn the loss of her older sister; the family have yet to visit the site where his remains were found, but plan to pay their respects once more information becomes available.

“Whoever did, I’m not mad at you. God will have the last word in this ”, said Wendy Mull. “Whatever happens, there is karma. The most important thing for me, whoever did it, you threw it away like a trash can. It wasn’t necessary and it will always be with me.

Marquita Mull’s aunt Betty Coleman noted that “Everyone has problems with life and she has done her best. She didn’t deserve the result she got, really. No one does. She never deserved any kind of harm.

KEY COLLABORATION

Quattrone stressed the importance of collaboration in this case, not only for Marquita Mull but also for the first set of human remains found. Some of these skeletal remains were sent to the New York State Crime Lab in Albany for further analysis.

In addition to the New York State Police, the Sheriff’s Office received assistance from the local FBI office, Lakewood-Busti Police, and the Department of Applied Forensic Sciences at Mercyhurst University, among other agencies and organizations.

“I really think it is imperative that we work closely together by sharing information, by sharing ideas”, Quattrone said. “We were able to not only share the information we already have, but also collaborate and share ideas and the next steps we can take. It’s kinda nice to be able to bounce ideas around and look at the pros and cons of doing different things because, while we want to resolve the missing person and identify the person who was left there, we also want to be able to hold the one. who is responsible is accountable. We need to make sure that we take all possible steps to ensure that any evidence is admissible. “

Regarding Marquita Mull, Quattrone said the sheriff’s office was working with the Buffalo Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit and Homicide Office. He said investigators were investigating the last known locations of Marquita Mull and who she may have been with at the time of her disappearance.

“Once we have the cause of death, we can move forward”, Quattrone said, adding later, “We suspect foul play. “

The sheriff’s office is awaiting further analysis from the state police criminal lab on the first set of remains found. Using dental records, forensic experts were able to rule out Corrie Anderson and Lori Cela Bova, two high-profile cases of missing persons in Chautauqua County.

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the missing person case of Patricia Laemmerhirt, a Westfield woman who has been missing for 45 years.

“We continue to look outside the scope whereas, due to proximity, we have to consider Patricia Laemmerhirt”, said the sheriff. “But we have no indication other than proximity and a rough estimate of how long the remains have been there.”

Regarding the discovery of two sets of remains within 10 meters, Quattrone said: “Although the bodies were both discovered nearby, we have no other evidence other than this, which is purely speculative, that they are related. I know this is a strong and unlikely coincidence, but to At this point, we have no other evidence that they are connected, so we will continue to follow the facts and try to develop more facts.… We fear when we start to speculate that this takes us away from the investigation.