(LEX 18) — For more than a month, Lexington Police, along with Kentucky State Police, have been searching an old Mercer County campground as a possible burial site for Melanie Flynn.
University of Kentucky archaeologists were brought into the case to help police try and figure out where to dig.
Archaeologists used a ground penetrating radar to scan what used to be an old campground on the Kentucky River in an area known as Murphy's Landing.
This location is where Flynn might have been buried after she disappeared in 1977.
Two credible tipsters claimed that Flynn was disposed of in a septic tank. For a month, investigators have searched for such possible evidence.
In this case, UK Archaeologist Doctor George Crothers used his expertise to find signs of a tank, house or cabin from years ago.
"It sounds like they tried to hide her body in something, so rather than looking for a grave shaft, we're looking for any kind of structure that may be in the ground," said Crothers.
The GPR, which is what archaeologists use, detects electromagnetic pulses that indicate changes in the soil. Crothers used images to read what could be under the surface. Blue represents a quiet, normal scan. Other colors reflect a stronger energy.
Archaeologists have also used a magnetometer, which is similar to a metal detector.
"A big storage tank, pressure tank, something that might be buried underground will show up pretty well,"" said Crothers.
Crothers' expertise is like an atlas, guiding police on a 42-year-old mystery that may or may not be solved at Murphy's Landing.
