Seneca County, Finger Lakes. Isn't this where the deep lake with military under? Why would NY reject outside help?

New York State Police reject outside help with 1985 Finger Lakes cold case homicide

Finger Lakes, N.Y. — Phyllis O'Connell vividly remembers the moment her husband called her from the Finger Lakes community of Ovid to break the news police had found their daughter Kristen's body in a cornfield. Her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest. That was August of 1985. She was found by local firefighters who aided in the search after she was reported missing two days before. Since then, there has been no arrest. The case remains unsolved.

"I think there are people up there who know what happened and are afraid to come forward," said Phyllis O'Connell. "I believe people are scared."

The O'Connell's make their home in Minnesota. That's where Kristin grew up. She flew from Minneapolis to New York State that summer for a visit with a young man she met while on spring break in Florida.

Phyllis O'Connell recalls how her friends back were stunned because Kristin was such a caring young woman. "They all just couldn’t believe anyone would try to kill Kristen," O'Connell said of Kristen's friends after her murder. " Anybody who ever knew her would never kill her."

There have been ups and downs for the investigation over the years. Phyllis O'Connell has made past pleas for help. A few years ago two men came forward to say they did not have anything to do with her death, but they felt like they were being pressured by police.

The O'Connell's have hired private investigators and had retired State Police investigators assist in trying to uncover the truth. But, now the family has a new offer for help from a true-crime investigative documentary series. Producers of the documentary have assembled a cold case investigative unit to work alongside New York State Police.

We’re offering them a fresh set of eyes," said documentary producer Christopher Pavlick of The Hammer Group. "A forensic lab that’s available to test all the physical evidence and in Kristin’s case at no cost to the state of New York."

Producers and the O'Connell family face a problem. New York State Police and the Seneca County District Attorney's office have declined the offer for help. The producers say the police rejected the offer for two reasons. State Police claim it's against policy for outsiders to be brought into the investigation. Investigators have also questioned whether the lab that would be used to test evidence is not properly licensed in New York. Christopher Pavlick has provided them evidence the lab is certified.

"We have these great investigators led by a former FBI leader of their violent apprehension program, a former interrogator, former profiler," said Pavlick. "Let these guys come in and see what they can do to help."

more at

https://cnycentral.com/news/local/new-york-state-police-reject-outside-help-with-finger-lakes-cold-case-homicide

https://archive.is/wip/8nYKp