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Garbage picked up on the day sisters disappeared
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Posted on Jun 08 2011
FBI agents and police investigators scoured a garbage heap at the Marpi landfill yesterday to look for clues or evidence in the disappearance of sisters Faloma and Maleina Luhk.
As of press time, search teams failed to find any trace of the girls, who were last reportedly seen on May 25 as they were leaving their house in As Teo on their way to a bus stop.
A Department of Public Works’ official, who was at the Marpi landfill yesterday morning, told Saipan Tribune that FBI agents and CNMI law enforcers arrived in the area at 7:30am yesterday. He refused to comment further.
Personnel wearing white protective suits were seen either walking around or sitting under a big tent being put up inside the landfill compound. A fire truck, an ambulance, and a marked police car were parked next to the tent.
FBI special agent Tom Simon told Saipan Tribune yesterday that seven FBI special agents and an evidence response team began looking for clues or evidence at the landfill at 8am.
When asked why the landfill became the focus of the search, Simon disclosed that the day when 10-year-old Faloma and 9-year-old Maleina went missing was also the day when garbage at As Teo was picked up.
Simon refused to discuss specific evidence issue and said that only a portion of the landfill will be scoured, not the entire dumpsite.
He said they were fortunate enough to locate the portion of the landfill where the garbage taken from As Teo on that day was dumped, largely because of the cooperation of the landfill personnel.
“The manager there is very cooperative. They’re organized there,” Simon said.
He said the search for clues at the landfill may take several days based on the amount of trash.
“It’s a manual process,” he said. “We’re looking for evidence of any kind.”
DPS spokesman Jason Tarkong said police officers were assisting the FBI at the landfill. He did not elaborate.
