Bodies of 2 missing Pa. men found in W.Va. river
PITTSBURGH -- Two men who went missing from the Pittsburgh area late last year in separate cases have been discovered dead about 25 miles apart in West Virginia's Ohio river, reports CBS Pittsburgh.
Police say the two deaths are not related and are being investigated separately, reports Trib Total Media.
Andre Gray, 34, vanished from his Lawrenceville home in October of 2014. Worried family members discovered his home ransacked, with blood on the floor and an odor of bleach. His dog was also missing, and his car was later found burned. The dog has not been found, reports the station.
Paul Kochu, 22, disappeared from Pittsburgh's south side last December. The Allegheny General Hospital nurse and Duquesne University graduate was last seen after a night out with friends.
Police say Gray died from a gunshot wound, reports the station. An official cause of death for Kochu isn't yet clear, but preliminary reports indicate he may have drowned.
Police are calling Gray's death a homicide and have named 30-year-old Hubert Wingate as a person of interest. He was already in the Allegheny County Jail on an unrelated fugitive from justice charge. Wingate was reportedly arrested on an outstanding warrant for assault in Colorado, and he was allegedly concealing a handgun when he was arrested.
Gray's body was found March 20 floating in the Ohio river near a barge in Steubenville, W.Va., reported Trib Total Media. Kochu's body was reportedly found the day before in debris on the shore of Wheeling Island, also in the Ohio River, about 25 miles south of Steubenville.
"I'm thankful to God for bringing my son home," Gray's mother, Victoria Gray Tillman, told the station. "Now I can begin the closure process. It's been a long time coming."
Kochu's family released a statement:
"Though we are left with many questions, what we know for sure is Paul was the light of our lives, and we will not be the same without him. Paul loved Pittsburgh. Having traveled here repeatedly over the past four months as we held out hope in the search for Paul, it is clear to us why this community was so dear to him. In addition to family and friends, countless strangers embraced us and offered their love and support in helping us during this difficult time. There are no adequate words to express the gratitude we feel towards the Pittsburgh community. As we cope with this loss, we now ask that the media respect our privacy as our family grieves."