Background: The area near the property where the remains of Roger Pitt were found in Cairo, N.Y. (Google Maps). Insets, left to right: Rodney Pitt, Drew White, Tania Pitt, Roger Pitt Sr. (Greene County Sheriff’s Office).
A man from upstate New York, who was initially reported missing, is now suspected to have been murdered by his own relatives.
Authorities, including police and sheriff’s deputies in Cairo and Greene County, began their investigation into the disappearance of 69-year-old Roger Pitt Sr. on November 18. A statement from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Pitt was believed to have left the area in his 1987 Mercedes Benz, taking his belongings with him.
However, it wasn’t long before investigators began to suspect that his family members were withholding crucial information.
“The initial accounts provided by Mr. Pitt’s family didn’t match the evidence uncovered by investigators,” the statement revealed. This led to search warrants for the property owned by the Pitt family in Cairo, where authorities eventually discovered Pitt’s remains.
The investigation has resulted in the arrest of three individuals: Rodney Pitt, 46; Drew White, 23; and Tania Pitt, 43. Rodney Pitt and Drew White face charges of second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a human corpse. Meanwhile, Tania Pitt faces charges of tampering with physical evidence and sixth-degree conspiracy, as per the sheriff’s report.
Local CBS affiliate WRGB reports that Rodney Pitt is the son of the deceased. Tania Pitt, identified as Rodney’s wife, and Drew White, who is reportedly the boyfriend of Pitt’s granddaughter, are also implicated.
Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky said investigators believe money may have been the source of conflict between the family members.
“We believe the murder potentially took place on October 31st,” Kusminsky said, according to the station. “We believe the possible motivation was basically disagreements over financial matters.”
Kusminsky added that Greene County is a “relatively low-crime area” and that homicides there are rare.
Cairo, which is in Greene County, is located 40 miles south of Albany.
The two men remain behind bars, according to the sheriff’s office; Tania Pitt was released and ordered to return to court at a later date.
