By David Lohr
(Continued)
While it may not directly relate to the case at hand, I did uncover an interesting tidbit during a visit to the Sayre Public Library. Someone had mentioned the unusual death of an attorney twenty years earlier, who was a former associate of David Keeffe's at the family law firm. The librarian was quite helpful and able to point me to the article in question. I found it in the Aug. 23, 1982 edition of The Evening Times.
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Rosh newspaper article |
According to the news article, Michael Rosh, 29, had worked for DeSisti and Keeffe, before opening his own practice in Sayre. Rosh's death allegedly resulted from hitting his head while cleaning his swimming pool. The incident was ruled an accident, however several area residents, including one former police officer, believe Rosh may have died as a result of foul play.
It is also interesting to note that Michael's mother, Sophia Nikolay, suddenly disappeared three years later. A massive search was launched and her body was eventually found lying by the Chemung River. According to published reports, her death resulted from drowning. Why an elderly lady would have gone into the river is unknown. I placed several calls to Michael's relatives, however none of them would comment for this story. The case of Rosh and his mother have no known connection to the Keeffe murders, however they are quite interesting in their own right.
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Athens Police building |
In the days following the Keeffe murders, a joint task force was assembled at the Athens Police Department. The task force consisted of both local officers and investigators from the North Towanda State Police barracks. At the time of my visit the North Towanda State Police Department was taking over the investigation from the local police. Neither department would comment on the status of the investigation.
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