The discovery of human remains in a crawl space at an abandoned Ohio home may be the first step in solving a 13-year missing child case.
Nicholle Coppler of Lima, Ohio, was last seen on May 15, 1999 when she was 14-years-old, according to the Toledo Blade. She was believed to have been with 53-year-old Glen Fryer at the time. Fryer was arrested in 2001 on unrelated child rape charges, the paper reported, and he allegedly agreed to give information about Coppler’s disappearance as part of a plea deal.
He committed suicide in jail before investigators were able to obtain any information from him.
Lima Police Chief Kevin Martin said at a press conference Sunday that Coppler’s remains were found on February 8 when the city was in the process of demolishing Fryer’s former home. Authorities confirmed that the remains, which appeared to have been hidden in a basement crawl space, were identified through dental records.
According to the Lima News, investigators had found Coppler’s hair, her school ID card, and a diary in previous searches of the house. The paper reported that the diary included statements indicating that she was being held against her will.
Martin said other searches of Fryer’s property since 2001 have included “specially trained cadaver dogs and …s pecial ground-penetrating radar,” but they found nothing. Two detectives were on site for the demolition and the activity was halted when the remains were spotted. Investigators have not yet determined a cause of death and they are unsure if they will ever be able to figure out when Coppler was killed.
With those questions and others still unanswered, Martin emphasized that this discovery does not mean the case is closed.
“Locating Nicholle finally does not close this investigation,” he said. “The Lima Police Department will now be investigating the death of Nicholle Coppler as a homicide.”
Authorities said Sunday that, while Fryer is dead, they expect to eventually bring charges against others in connection with Coppler’s death.
Krista Coppler, Nicholle’s mother, told reporters Sunday that she was not surprised by the discovery and she hopes it will lead to justice for her daughter.
“I knew. I knew in my heart that she never left that house,” she said. “… I want anybody who was involved prosecuted.”
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