A man from upstate New York who was supposed to have gone missing is now believed to have been murdered by members of his own family.
Since November 18, police and sheriff’s officers in Cairo and Greene County have been investigating the disappearance of Roger Pitt Sr., 69. According to a news release from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Pitt is thought to have “gathered his belongings and left the area in his 1987 Mercedes Benz.”
Investigators said they quickly recognized that the missing man’s family members knew more than they were revealing.
“The initial reports made by members of Mr. Pitt’s family were not consistent with the findings of investigators,” a press release stated. These contradictions prompted search warrants for the Pitt family property in Cairo, where Pitt’s remains were eventually discovered.
Three people have been arrested: Rodney Pitt, 46, Drew White, 23, and Tania Pitt, 43. White and Rodney Pitt are both accused with second-degree murder, conspiracy, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing a human corpse. According to the sheriff’s release, Tania Pitt faces only charges of tampering with physical evidence and sixth-degree conspiracy.
According to WRGB, the victim’s son is Rodney Pitt. According to officials, Tania Pitt is Rodney Pitt’s wife, while White appears to be the boyfriend of a grandchild.
According to Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky, authorities believe money was the basis of the family’s quarrel.
“We believe the murder may have occurred on October 31st,” Kusminsky told the radio. “We believe the possible motivation was basically disagreements over financial matters.”
According to Kusminsky, Greene County is a “relatively low-crime area” with few homicides.
Cairo, which is in Greene County, is about 40 miles south of Albany.
The two men are still in jail, according to the sheriff’s office; Tania Pitt has been released and ordered to appear in court at a later date.
