Family of New Castle man Christopher Story opens up about heartbreaking discovery
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (KDKA) — A family that has waited years for answers finally got them.
It's been a decade of misery for Phillip Story and his family after his only son, Christopher Story, vanished from his New Castle home in 2013.
"From day one when my son disappeared, I told my wife prepare for the worst and pray for the best," Phillip Story said. "My wife took it a lot harder than I did yesterday."
The family finally got some answers on Wednesday, when New Castle police told them Christopher Story's skeletal remains were found.
"I wasn't surprised," Phillip Story said. "I've been expecting this for a long time. I am disappointed, obviously."
"I couldn't tell you how many times we stopped the car and turned around because we thought we saw him," he added.
On Feb 11, a father and son walking through the woods off West Pittsburgh Road in Taylor Township discovered a human skull. KDKA-TV has learned New Castle police, the FBI and the Lawrence County coroner were called to the scene. Cadaver dogs found other skeletal remains near the scene belonging to Christopher Story.
"They are trying to determine cause of death," the father said. "No bullet wounds. Didn't appear to be blunt force trauma."
He said his son had some issues, and KDKA-TV asked him why he thinks his son would have been found there.
"My mother was in a nursing home and he was found near there," Phillip Story said. "We believe the last person who saw him alive was probably one of the nurses that were there."
All the family can do now is wait. The FBI will do forensic testing on the remains.
"This isn't full closure because we still don't know what all happened and I don't know if we will ever know," Phillip Story said.
The Lawrence County coroner used dental records and results from an MRI to identify the remains.
Phillip Story said he was told it will be about a month to get the forensic testing back from the FBI.