Lincoln Police are excavating the basement of a Havelock home in the search for possible human remains connected to Regina Bos’ disappearance in October 2000. Investigators removed part of the concrete floor Thursday at the residence near North 68th and Burlington streets, but police have not announced finding remains.
Lt. Brian Agnew, who oversees LPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit, said a tip received about three months ago led investigators to the property. He said a previous homeowner had a connection to Bos and Dugan’s Pub, where she was last seen, giving investigators a reason to pursue the location.
“So it wasn’t just a house in Havelock that was pointed out. There was a connection,” Agnew said. “And so it’s prudent for us to follow up with that lead and ensure that if there is something here that we remove it.”
Police spokesperson Erika Thomas told KLIN News that the current homeowner is cooperating and allowing investigators to search the basement. Crews began working at the property around 9 a.m. Thursday, with crime scene technicians from Lincoln Police and the Nebraska State Patrol assisting members of LPD’s criminal investigations unit.
Agnew said investigators are carefully examining material beneath the basement floor. “Essentially what we’ve done today is removed a portion of the basement floor, the concrete there, and we are methodically removing the dirt and whatever else is underneath the concrete to determine if there’s any human remains in the basement,” he said.
An anthropologist is advising crews on what to look for, including changes in the soil that could indicate an area requiring closer examination. “They call it the three C’s, color, consistency, and compaction is what we’re looking for, the difference in the soil,” Agnew said.
Thomas said investigators are taking precautions to preserve any evidence and have expert assistance available to evaluate a potential discovery. “We also are working with a UNL anthropologist on scene who will help make a determination if any remains are found what the nature of those remains are,” she said.
Agnew said crews would work into Thursday evening and could return Friday, depending on their progress. He described the process as painstaking, emphasizing the need to preserve evidence if investigators encounter any.
Thomas said Bos remains the focus of the investigation, despite the decades that have passed. “And of course, you know the most important person in this case is Regina and our goal is to hopefully ultimately find her and bring some closure to her family,” she said.
Police encouraged anyone with information about Bos’ disappearance to contact LPD, even if the information seems insignificant. “So we just encourage people to reach out if they have any information no matter how small that could potentially help,” Thomas said.
