Jul 30, 2024
www.wtae.com
''GREENSBURG, Pa. —
A man was murdered 20 years ago in his face up with stab wounds around his neck. apartment. For the past two decades, the case has been ice-cold, but officers continue to investigate and may have a new means of finding the killer.
"There's a handful of cases that stick in your mind. And for me, this is one of them," Westmoreland County Park Police Chief Henry Fontana said.''
''Chief Fontana said Painter was known to struggle with mental health and drugs.
When investigators arrived, they found Painter face up with stab wounds around his neck. They later learned Painter had been hit in the head and killed.''
Detectives continue to follow leads, but now, they are trying a new approach: genetic genealogy testing.
"The DNA that was found on the victim, they can attempt to pull DNA and match it to maybe a suspect's family member, and then we could kind of reverse-engineer it, basically to try to gather a new suspect in this case," Scalzo explained.
Police are also offering a $5,000 cash reward to anyone who steps forward with information leading to an arrest.
"Nobody deserves to be murdered in cold blood, at all. You know, Mr. Painter was more than just an addict. He was somebody's son. He was somebody's brother. He was a veteran that didn't deserve to die," Scalzo said.''
Jul 30, 2024
William Painter was found dead on March 7, 2004. Now, 20 years later, Greensburg police are back at it, trying to solve this cold case.
Police offer cash reward for information on 2004 Greensburg homicide
William Painter was found dead on March 7, 2004. Now, 20 years later, Greensburg police are back at it, trying to solve this cold case.
www.wtae.com
A man was murdered 20 years ago in his face up with stab wounds around his neck. apartment. For the past two decades, the case has been ice-cold, but officers continue to investigate and may have a new means of finding the killer.
"There's a handful of cases that stick in your mind. And for me, this is one of them," Westmoreland County Park Police Chief Henry Fontana said.''
''Chief Fontana said Painter was known to struggle with mental health and drugs.
When investigators arrived, they found Painter face up with stab wounds around his neck. They later learned Painter had been hit in the head and killed.''
Detectives continue to follow leads, but now, they are trying a new approach: genetic genealogy testing.
"The DNA that was found on the victim, they can attempt to pull DNA and match it to maybe a suspect's family member, and then we could kind of reverse-engineer it, basically to try to gather a new suspect in this case," Scalzo explained.
Police are also offering a $5,000 cash reward to anyone who steps forward with information leading to an arrest.
"Nobody deserves to be murdered in cold blood, at all. You know, Mr. Painter was more than just an addict. He was somebody's son. He was somebody's brother. He was a veteran that didn't deserve to die," Scalzo said.''
William Painter was found dead on March 7, 2004. Now, 20 years later, Greensburg police are back at it, trying to solve this cold case.