Hamilton County budget cuts may be holding up the investigation into the case of a missing Delhi Township mother.
Sources tell 9News that prosecutors are waiting for DNA results before moving toward possible charges in the disappearance of Kristan Strutz. The 28-year-old mother of three has been missing since the weekend.
Now Hamilton County Coroner Dr. O'dell Owens is facing questions over whether county furlough days and other budget cutting could be holding up analysis of the evidence.
Dr. Owens is holding a news conference on Friday morning, where he will likely address those concerns.
All week long, detectives and other investigators scoured the Delhi Township home Strutz and her husband, John, shared with their three children, searching for additional evidence. Police say they found human remains around the home late Sunday night.
John Strutz is currently behind bars on over a $1 million bond for allegedly tampering with evidence in the case. It's been almost a week since his arrest, but there still hasn't been a positive identification of the remains.
Budget cuts have already forced the Hamilton County Coroner's Office to shut down two Mondays a month through the end of the year to save money.
We'll find out more about how county budget problems are affecting this case, and Tri-State homicide investigations in general, at the 10 a.m. news conference Friday at the coroner's office.
Watch for updates on the news conference and reaction, here at wcpo.com and later on 9News.
