CARY, NC – Just after noon today, the Cary Police Department and officials assisting with its investigation, concluded its recovery of the remains of a body pulled from a well in rural Nash County.  Investigators believe the body may be that of Amanda Belon Simpson-Deane, the Cary girl who has been missing since September 19, 2000.

At this time, investigators with Cary Police are accompanying Nash County Medical Examiner Dr. Louis Levy to Nash County General Hospital where Dr. Levy will begin his evaluation and identification of the remains. Investigators are hopeful that a positive identification can be made no later than the first of next week.

Officials arrived at the scene around 8:30 this morning at which time they began pumping water out of the remaining 18 feet of the old farm well which they had begun excavating on Thursday. This portion of the well lay at the bottom of a 40 deep, 75 foot crater, which was created to facilitate the investigation. Once pumps, provided by Godwin Pumps of America, of Garner, NC, brought the water level to within 6 inches of the bottom of the well, officials from the Town of Spring Hope supplied additional pumps to refine the operation so that Wake County CCBI and Town of Cary investigators could recover final evidence from the well. "This operation would not have been possible were it not for the generosity and professionalism exhibited by Sheriff Jimmy Grimes and his staff from the Nash County Sheriff’s Department," said Sgt. Randy Swallow, Cary Police Investigator. "We really appreciate the work of all those involved including the SBI, Nash County Health Department and numerous other volunteers in and around Nash County."

Once a positive identification is made, the Town of Cary will issue a news release.

# # #

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 28, 2002

CARY, NC – The Town of Cary Police Department believes they have located the body of Cary resident Amanda Belon Simpson-Deane at the bottom of a well in rural Nash County, North Carolina. Simpson-Deane, then 16 years old, was reported missing after her first period class ended at Cary High School on Tuesday, September 19, 2000.

"Our investigation team has recently developed information which yesterday led us to the location of a deceased person. The information we’ve gathered and the evidence at the scene strongly and sadly suggest that this is Amanda," said Lt. Chris Hoina, head of Cary’s criminal investigations unit. Hoina added that officials have contacted the girl’s relatives with the news.

At this hour, a group of specialists is assembled at the scene examining what appears to be a human body at the bottom of an old farm well and consulting about the safest and best methods to use in the recovery of this deceased person. The well, which is approximately 36 inches in diameter and between 20 and 30 feet deep, is on private property off Fraizer’s Road between Zebulon and Spring Hope, NC.

The team includes the Nash County Sheriff's Office, the State Bureau of Investigations, Wake County's City/County Bureau of Identification (CCBI) and the Cary Police Department

Once the remains are recovered, they will be identified by the state medical examiner in Chapel Hill, NC, and a cause of death will be established.

"While it seems likely that foul play was involved, we will await a report from the medical examiner to give us the details necessary to move forward with that part of our investigation," said Hoina.

So as not to compromise the investigation, Hoina would not comment further on the status of the team’s work.

# # #