Officials confirm ID of remains found in submerged vehicle in Oakmont
Allegheny County officials on Monday confirmed that remains found July 21 inside a submerged vehicle in the Allegheny River in Oakmont are those of Janet Walsh, a Shaler woman who had been missing since 2020.
Walsh’s vehicle was pulled out of the river near California Street. The county Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her identity.
A cause and manner of death have not been determined.
“At this point there is no indication of any foul play, but we’re still waiting for final determination from the medical examiner’s office,” said Jim Madalinsky, Allegheny County Police spokesman. “The investigation is ongoing.”
Walsh was 70 at the time of her disappearance on Jan. 20, 2020.
A search for Walsh had been ongoing for just over four years. Since January 2021, multiple dive teams had scoured the river four or five times, focusing on areas between the Highland Park and 31st Street bridges in Pittsburgh.
Her vehicle, a 2018 silver Chevy Trax, was located about five miles upriver from the Highland Park Bridge, near the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Oakmont.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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