AG Seeks Leads in Celina Cass Case [VIDEO]

Law enforcement officials said Thursday that there were still no suspects in the Celina Cass death investigation, which officials have ruled as suspicious.

Jane Young, the senior assistant attorney general for the state of New Hampshire, said there were at least a dozen police officers active in the investigation, and the FBI was also involved, given the location where Cass’ body was found. She said that nearly 600 leads and tips had been received, but officials were still requesting assistance with the investigation.

“As we have told you previously, any piece of information could be the piece of the puzzle that we need to solve this tragedy and suspicious death,” she said. “This remains an ongoing and active investigation, but at this point, no arrests have been made.”

Cass was last reported seen at 863 Washington St. in West Stewartstown, on July 25. She was reported missing the next day. After a nationwide search for the girl, investigators found her body six days later in the Connecticut River.

Young said law enforcement officials were doing all they could do to complete the investigation, but would not get into specifics of the investigation. She would not identify any persons of interest, however, she noted that investigators have spoken “to a number of different witnesses, exploring a number of forensic avenues.”

Young said items have been sent to Pennsylvania to be studied and other agencies are also assisting with the investigation. She said toxicology reports are hoped to be back in the next week or two. Young said the toxicology reports were important because “the medical examiner has not ruled a cause of death … we are waiting for the toxicology results to see if there was anything in Celina’s system at the time of her death.”

“That is not the end-all piece,” she said, “but it’s certainly a piece of this puzzle, as is each piece of information.”

Investigators are building a timeline of Cass’ life that dates back “days, weeks, and months,” according to Young, in an effort to find whoever is responsible for her death. There are pieces missing because investigators were not in the house in the days before or after her disappearance, she said. Young said officials were requesting the public’s help, people who had seen Cass or members of her family, before or after the event, to come forward with any information they may have.

Young said investigations of this nature can take weeks or months, in an effort to build a strong case against the perpetrators.

“If we ever get to a trial in this case, we want to make sure we have enough evidence to reach a just result,” she said, “which would be a finding of guilty, if somebody is responsible and if somebody is charged.”

A $25,000 reward offered by the FBI for the arrest and prosecution of any individuals involved in the girl’s disappearance has been altered slightly to focus on those involved in Cass’ death.

Young said that another $5,000, from an anonymous donor located in the northern part of the state, had also been offered. She said that those wishing to make a donation to the fund, in order to increase the size of the reward, should contact the Northway Bank in Gorham at 603-466-5467.