Search for evidence goes on

Dogs are brought in to locate Sandra Prince's body; there's no word on how they did.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO, Times Staff Writer
Published January 13, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Sandra Prince case Special Report: The search for Sandra Sandra Prince hasn't been seen in two years. Her boyfriend is a "person of interest" in the case.

TAMPA - Two cadaver-sniffing dogs inspected a South Tampa home Saturday to assist investigators in their dig for Sandra Prince's body.

Police remained tight-lipped as they came in and out of the house at 3908 W Vasconia St., where detectives believe the Temple Terrace social worker might be buried.

Prince, co-founder of the Agency for Community Treatment Services, disappeared from her home two years ago under what appear to be violent circumstances.

Earl C. Pippin, Prince's boyfriend for five years and the man police have named a "person of interest" in the case, built the Vasconia Street house in 2006.

A city inspector approved a newly poured concrete slab there on Jan. 5, 2006, three days after neighbors reported her missing.

Police say Pippin is the sole beneficiary to Prince's estate, valued at about $2.8-million, according to court records.

Pippin's attorney said he has seen no evidence connecting his client to Prince's disappearance.

Police secured a warrant to search the property on Thursday, saying the results from a $21,000 dig in October indicated the presence of human remains.

It was difficult on Saturday, day three of the most recent search, for an outside observer to interpret what kind of progress investigators are making inside.

Lead Temple Terrace police Detective Michael Pridemore left the vacant home at 12:15 p.m. holding a small bag and a metal canister marked with what appeared to be an orange biohazard sticker. Michael Dunn, a Temple Terrace police spokesman, said the agency wasn't commenting on whether it had located any evidence. Neither he nor Pridemore would discuss the contents of the can.

The Brooksville-based K9 Forensics Recovery Team was on scene from about 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. Sophie, a yellow Labrador retriever, and Ruger, a German shepherd, are trained to identify whether a body has been buried or if it has been buried and moved, said Mary Peter, founder of the nonprofit canine unit.

But did the presence of the dogs mean detectives had not yet located any evidence obvious to the naked eye? Some of Prince's friends wondered that as they looked over the scene.

"I thought for sure we were going to have an end to this," said Suzanne Martin, who along with her husband and another couple drove from Venice to see the South Tampa house. "I'm kind of disappointed that we're not going to have the instant answer that we had hoped for."

Detectives and workers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement quickly packed up their belongings and left at 3 p.m. Dunn, the Temple Terrace spokesman, said they were exhausted and expected to continue their work on Monday.

Prince's longtime friends Susan and Jerry Horton stared at the suddenly empty house cordoned off by yellow tape.

"God," Jerry Horton said shaking his head. "I hope they got something. I hope."

There is an $80,000 reward for information leading to Prince. Anyone with information should call police at 813 989-7110.

Rebecca Catalanello can be reached at rcatalanello@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3383.

[Last modified January 12, 2008, 23:47:45]