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  • Officials from the Jefferson County, Ky., Coroner's Office, the New Albany Fire Department and the New Albany Police Department search the Ohio River near the Sherman Minton Bridge with the help of a cadaver dog Wednesday afternoon. Staff photo by Christopher Fryer

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April 25, 2012

Officials search river for body

NAPD would not confirm or deny search is related to recent murder charges

By TARA SCHMELZ tara.schmelz@newsandtribune.com

NEW ALBANY — The Jefferson County, Ky., coroner, multiple cadaver dogs and New Albany police officers and firefighters searched the Ohio River all day Wednesday for a body.

New Albany Police Department Maj. Keith Whitlow could neither confirm nor deny that the search is related to the recent murder charges against William Clyde Gibson III, 54. Prosecutor Keith Henderson said during questioning, Gibson implicated himself in the recent murder of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, of Jeffersonville, who was murdered in 2002.

“We will continue to search and collect evidence in this case as long as we see it is a fruitful endeavor,” Whitlow said.

He said recent evidence has the department searching the river in New Albany to see what can be found. In addition to the New Albany teams, people from the Grant County Sheriff’s Department and Erlanger Fire and EMS — both from Kentucky near Cincinnati — also participated in the search.

He did not say when the search began. He said he cannot release details on what is going on, due to it being an open and active investigation.

There were at least five search and rescue cadaver dogs on the riverfront, participating in the search. Those dogs took turns on the boat that was scanning the bottom of the river.

“We will continue to follow up based on the evidence we got in the case,” Whitlow said.

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