GENESEE COUNTY/DNA could now provide answers in an unsolved death from 21 years ago

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has hopes that new technology in DNA sequencing will be able to give them answers in the 21 year old unsolved death of Ann K. Lee, aka Ann Rippel Griffin.

“We are waiting for the State Police Lab to complete their findings so they can talk to a company we are meeting with today via telephone conference,” says Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are hoping to put both aspects of this team together and see what magic they can do for us. This will take some time however, the company did not say how long the process will take.”

Using DNA sequencing has recently helped solve other unsolved death cases around the country. NYS is one of the few states that are allowing it.

“We are optimistic, we may not get the person, but we may get a relative which may give us a lead.”

Lee 41, of Batavia was found by a passing motorist face down in only two inches of water in the Little Tonawanda Creek near Brookville and West Bethany roads just before noon on April 23, 1997.

Her body was partially clothed, naked below the waist, with pieces of duct tape on the side of her face and neck area, but she was not bound and she was not assaulted. The official cause of death is drowning. The manner of death is unknown.

She was last seen at her apartment on East Main street near the former Wilson Farm store the night before she died.

“Makes you wonder, whoever was with her probably left her in some state with duct tape on her. The investigation shows only one person walked down to the water and that was Ann,” says Brewster.

“She was not helped into the water.”

The area of Brookville road is frequented by people who use it as a pull off area, a place to stop and park.

Ann’s body was noticeable and in the open as cars passed by. Investigators say her body was not there very long before it was found.

Investigators theorize that maybe she had been left in a bound condition out there and was able to get up and get the duct tape off of her, then she somehow ended up face down in the water.

Recently, Investigator Pete Welker has been searching through the files of the case. Chief Deputy Brewster is the only investigator left from the original investigation in 1997.

“Just seeing if there are things that weren’t covered and cover them or just to rehash a few things, a lot has changed in 21 years as far as DNA evidence goes,” says Welker

There was DNA evidence collected at the scene in April of 1997.  It was submitted each month to DNA databanks as new DNA samples from criminals were added everyday. The Sheriff’s Office has submitted samples continuously since 1997.

About 6 years ago, Chief Deputy Brewster says he got a call that the lab may have had a familial match.

“There was a bunch of protocols I had to go through to continue with that process. I got everything all set to go and all my ducks in a row and then I got a call from the lab saying that the sample unfortunately did not meet the threshold.”

Since 1997 a lot has changed with new DNA technology.

(Ann with her children)                                            (Nicole Griffin with sons Chris Thomas Jr and Jevon Griffin)

A lot has changed with Ann’s family also.

Nicole Griffin, 36, of Batavia, is Ann’s step daughter, she says the family needs closure after all these years.

“Her mother passed away not knowing what happened to her and her father just recently closed his eyes not knowing what happened either,” says Nicole.

Ann has two living children Bobby Griffin and Victoria Rippel who are still wondering what happened to their mom and how she ended up on Brookville road face down in a small creek.

“We live day by day wondering you know, is this somebody that we hang out with that knows? Is it a drifter that just came through, could it be a member of law enforcement? It’s just frustrating to know that we may never know what happened to her,” says Nicole.

Nicole says Ann was a great mom and had her issues like anybody else.

“She was a vibrant person who loved everybody. She would give you anything that she had if you didn’t have it.”

(Sammy Griffin)                                 (Ann Lee with her children)

Ann lost her son, 17 year old Sammy Griffin, in 1993 after a shooting.

Jeremy M. Fairbanks, 15, was accused of shooting Sammy M. Griffin at a South Swan Street apartment.

Police said that the Griffin died of a gunshot wound to the head, and a rifle was recovered at the scene.

Nicole believes the two were playing Russian roulette at the time and her brother slapped the gun out of Jeremy’s hand and the gun went off shooting her brother in the face.

“My brother Bobby and I have been through some troubled times,” says Nicole.

Ann Lee was found dead a month before Bobby’s graduation from Batavia High School. He was a star football and basketball player.

“We have learned to cope with it and learned to deal with it. I feel like my brother Bobby has not had a proper goodbye to his mom.”

After hearing about the beating death of friend Ray Morgan on July 24th on Liberty street, Nicole says she started to think about her step mom’s unsolved death again.

“I don’t want his daughters to feel the pain and the loss and the discomfort and not knowing what happened to their father like we have for 21 years, its not fair.”

Nicole says she recently spent time with Ray Morgan’s family as the two families got together for Morgan’s 2 year old grandson’s birthday.

“It was a difficult time for all of us,” says Nicole.

“We are going to keep Ray and Ann’s name alive, we are going to speak until we get answers, we are going to speak until we are heard.”

Nicole wants people to know that Ann and Ray were not just nobodies.

“Despite the lifestyle my mom lived she is still somebody’s mother, somebody’s daughter, somebody’s aunt, cousin or friend. She wasn’t a nobody, she was very much loved and is very much missed.”

Chief Deputy Brewster says cases like Ann Lee’s are within an arms reach right now.

There are also two other cases that are close to being solved. The Bill Fickle murder case from November 2005 and the homicide at the Sunset Motel this past April where Sherri Collen Butler was found dead in her room.

There are three others that are still unsolved at this point. Eddie Freson, found at Buttermilk Falls in May of 2000, Kisha Sullivan, whose body was found on Gulf road in LeRoy in 2002 and Deborah Maniace who was found at the bottom of the bridge off Rt. 33 in August of 2010.

“I don’t think anyone understands the way I take it to bed with me every night. All of them. And to think that these are disposable people is not the case at all. I just need something to go on. A lot of these cases, I have a pretty good idea as to who is responsible, but like the Linden Murders, I can’t prove it at this point.