Chief: Bones found were human

LIMA — The bones found this week at the site of a man's house — the last person seen with a teenager who disappeared 13 years ago — have been confirmed as human remains, Lima Police Chief Kevin Martin said Thursday.

What is not known is whether the bones are that of missing teenager, Nicholle Coppler, who was 14 when she disappeared in 1999. An anthropologist from the Lucas County Coroner's Office in Toledo confirmed the bones were human, Martin said.

Julie Saul, director of Forensic Anthropology at the Coroner's Office, was on site to lend her expertise in searching for evidence, said Maj. Richard Shade of the Lima Police Department.

Searchers found more bones and other evidence Thursday, as well, Shade said.

Police would not say what bones were found.

Evidence found each day will be taken to the Coroner's Office for analysis, which will include DNA testing, Shade said. DNA analysis can take several days to several weeks.

Ohio Attorney General spokeswoman Lisa Peterson Hackley, whose agency oversees the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation, which sent crime scene agents to Lima, said additional items have been discovered and collected at the scene as potential evidence.

Authorities declined to identify the other items.

Ten to 15 people were at the site of Glen Fryer's old house at 735 S. Elizabeth St. on Thursday continuing to excavate the site after bones were found Wednesday. The city of Lima, which took possession of the home, notified police officials in advance of its plans to demolish the home.

While the demolition of the structure above ground didn't yield anything, the process was stopped when bones were found in a crawl space. Detectives from the Lima Police Department were on hand for the discovery Wednesday afternoon.

The site immediately was shut down and blocked off as a crime scene. Demolition equipment was moved out and investigators moved in for the methodical process of searching the site.

Those searching erected an old military tent, 32 feet 3 inches by 24 feet 2 inches, over the hole in the ground to protect the site from rain or snow, which may come today.

Martin said it's likely they will be at the scene for “days.” The process is slow and involves slowly removing soil and sifting it through a screen.

“Much of the work they are doing is similar to what an archeologist would do,” Martin said. “We are going to keep people here until we're satisfied nothing else is there.”

Shade said anything of interest found was put through the sifter to clean the dirt and other contaminates away.

“They were using brushes and trowels to minimize soil disturbance and recover any evidence items including small particles,” Shade said.

Martin also said everyone working at the site is being respectful to the fact that human remains have been found.

“We are cognizant of the difficult situation the Coppler family is in and want to get them answers as soon and as thoroughly as possible,” Martin said.

Coppler's grandmother, Diana Coppler, was at the site all day Thursday, as she was the evening before waiting for any news. Nicholle Coppler's brother, Jimmy Coppler, joined her. Martin spoke with them several times but didn't have any new news for them.

Coppler's mother, Krista Coppler, who has always maintained Fryer had something to do with her daughter's disappearance, was en route by car to Lima from her home in Florida. She was expected to be in town late Thursday. Police officials called her Wednesday and asked her to come to Lima, she said.

The Allen County Department of Homeland Security provided its bus at the scene for officers to take breaks and get out of the cold. A portable toilet was placed at the site, also.

While Martin was at the site for a couple of hours Thursday, he said he is staying out of the way because he has no expertise in anthropological searches.

“This is a situation we have never dealt with in my career,” he said.

Officers and agents worked late into the evening Wednesday under lights before stopping. Officers stood guard at the scene overnight to prevent anyone from tampering with or disturbing the site, Martin said.

Shade said officers would work until darkness fell and begin again at first light on Friday.

In October 2003, Lima Police and the FBI used ground-penetrating radar to search Fryer's old home, which by then was owned by someone else. The radar showed a site of interest but they only found the remains of an animal. Police also found what was described as resembling an abandoned grave in the crawl space at the home and theorized Fryer could have killed Coppler, buried her there and later removed the body because they found no remains that day.

It's unclear whether that same site is where the bones were found this week.

“I don't want to get in to the exact location on where we made discoveries until the investigation is done,” Shade said.

Martin said while police officials had access to the crawl space in the 2003 search, technology used then was unable to lead to anything other than animal remains.

Coppler initially ran away from home in May 1999 and was seen in the weeks after at Fryer's home. Police later found her diary and other items during a search of Fryer's home. In the diary she wrote she wanted to go home.

Fryer, who was 55, committed suicide in jail in 2002 after pleading no contest to rape charges involving a 12-year-old child. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to tell investigators everything he knew about Coppler but killed himself days before they were scheduled to meet with him.

Today, police plan to use heavy equipment to move items around to get a better view and aid with the search, Shade said.

Shade said there was the possibility they could be finished searching the site today but said it could go into the weekend.

Martin said they were not watching the clock. Officers want to collect every piece of evidence out there.

“We want to get to the truth of what happened there,” he said.

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