New evidence surfaces in Baum disappearance
McCLEARY, Wash. -- Evidence seized in the search of a McCleary home and business may help investigators figure out what happened to Lindsey Baum, who disappeared more than 2 1/2 years ago while walking home from a friend's house.
The evidence, which includes a fingernail, ropes and handwritten notes about Baum's disappearance, was uncovered during a search conducted last October.
During the search, crime scene investigators pored over the jewelry store, car and home of Tim Hartman, who is being called a person of interested in the case.
Hartman denies having anything to do with the disappearance, but newly-released documents show that investigators found an "apparent fingernail from passenger side of car," "ropes and straps," "numerous computers and computer storage devices," a "pink sheet with unknown stains," a "brown duffle bag with assumed human hair" and "handwritten notes regarding missing child."
Detectives are still waiting for DNA results to come back on those items.
"Certainly if we had found evidence that clearly linked to Lindsey's disappearance in this investigation, we would have acted on it by now," said Grays Harbor County undersheriff Rick Scott.
In his only televised interview, Tim Hartman told KOMO he has nothing to hide and has let authorities search his place several times since Baum disappeared.
"I gave them free room to look through here whenever they wanted to," Hartman said.
Police now want to know why Hartman hid the truth about where he was the night Baum disappeared.
He told police he wasn't in town during the hours that Baum disappeared, but newly obtained convenience store surveillance camera footage shows Hartman in McCleary at exactly the time of the disappearance.
"I honestly don't remember coming down here that night," Hartman said. "I mean, if they have a picture of me being there, i am not arguing with them, i must have come down. I just don't remember being here."
Police and FBI officials have so far not been able to link the evidence to Baum's disappearance.
The evidence, which includes a fingernail, ropes and handwritten notes about Baum's disappearance, was uncovered during a search conducted last October.
During the search, crime scene investigators pored over the jewelry store, car and home of Tim Hartman, who is being called a person of interested in the case.
Hartman denies having anything to do with the disappearance, but newly-released documents show that investigators found an "apparent fingernail from passenger side of car," "ropes and straps," "numerous computers and computer storage devices," a "pink sheet with unknown stains," a "brown duffle bag with assumed human hair" and "handwritten notes regarding missing child."
Detectives are still waiting for DNA results to come back on those items.
"Certainly if we had found evidence that clearly linked to Lindsey's disappearance in this investigation, we would have acted on it by now," said Grays Harbor County undersheriff Rick Scott.
In his only televised interview, Tim Hartman told KOMO he has nothing to hide and has let authorities search his place several times since Baum disappeared.
"I gave them free room to look through here whenever they wanted to," Hartman said.
Police now want to know why Hartman hid the truth about where he was the night Baum disappeared.
He told police he wasn't in town during the hours that Baum disappeared, but newly obtained convenience store surveillance camera footage shows Hartman in McCleary at exactly the time of the disappearance.
"I honestly don't remember coming down here that night," Hartman said. "I mean, if they have a picture of me being there, i am not arguing with them, i must have come down. I just don't remember being here."
Police and FBI officials have so far not been able to link the evidence to Baum's disappearance.
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