HAMILTON, Ohio — Authorities went back inside the sewer pipes beneath Hamilton’s Market Street as the investigation into the death of William Lee Campbell intensifies, drawing multiple agencies to the area Wednesday.
Those authorities include the Butler County Coroner’s Office, Hamilton Police Department detectives, Butler County Emergency Management Agency, the Butler County Tech Rescue team, Cincinnati Search and Recovery and Liberty Twp. Fire & Rescue.
A K-9 could be seen being lowered into the sewer to assist in the investigation.
The Butler County Coroner's Office said the examination was part of a "coordinated follow-up search" within the sewer system in the 300 block of Market Street.
The search aimed to locate any additional remains or physical evidence related to the August 2025 discovery of remains later identified as Campbell.
The coroner's office said the search was part of an effort to make sure all evidence was recovered from the site.
"Items or biological materials recovered will be processed to determine if there is a direct nexus with the ongoing investigation into Campbell's death," the coroner's office said.
According to police, the investigation into Campbell's disappearance started in December 2022 when the department learned of his missing status. Investigators were not able to locate Campbell, police said, despite collecting medical and dental records and a DNA sample.
In August 2025, police said a contractor working on maintenance in the sewer system near the intersection of 3rd Street and Market Street saw "what appeared to be a human skull" through an inspection camera.
Hamilton police and the Butler County Coroner's Office responded to the scene and the remains were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for testing, police said.
The DNA profile from the remains matched Campbell, Hamilton police announced in February. The DNA sample collected in 2022 provided further confirmation of the identification.
Agencies also searched in March for any additional remains or evidence connected to the human remains found near Third and Market streets last August.
The Hamilton Police Department is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Campbell's death. The Butler County Coroner's Office is investigating the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information about Campbell or the circumstances surrounding the case is asked to contact Detective Doug Trenum at 513-868-5811 ext. 1270.
