It’s been a mystery on what happened to Thomas Conrad 8 years ago.
Saturday, officials said they arrested Jeanette Battle in Reading, Berks County for her husbands murder.
“There were close to 40 people interviewed, over and over and over again because when you have that much time delay you’re always afraid that you’re going to lose some piece of the puzzle,” explained Somerset County District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser.
Through those interviews and past evidence found in Conrad’s old residence in Garrett Borough they were able to recover a body in a strip mine area nicknamed “Johnson’s Corner”.
“When we came up over the crest to where they actually found the body, it’s like you’re in a wasteland,” explained Lazzari-Strasiser. “So, had we not had the investigation that put the details together there is no way we would have ever found the remains.”
Samuel McFarland, battle’s son was arrested in June in connection to the case.
Investigators say it’s thanks to witness accounts that they were able to piece the clues together.
“A lot of people were talking about it, and specifically Mr. McFarland was talking about it to a lot of people,” said Somerset State Police Trooper Sean Reynolds. “Usually when that occurs people want to tell stories. They want to tell everybody what someone told them, especially when it’s significant like this.”
Conrad’s blood was also found after investigating the home.
Now that a body has been found experts are working to identify the remains.
“We’re in the process of obtaining dental records from the Department of Corrections that are on file,” Reynolds said. “They’re going to be sent there. His DNA, so that’s the next step to absolutely 100 percent identify those remains that have been recovered. “
Mercyhurst University is handling the forensic investigation on the remains.