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Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2009

Crows Landing cemetery search set for next week

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High-profile digging in the Antioch back yard of accused kidnappers delayed a search for pioneer graves at a former Crows Landing airfield.

Brian Damiata, who uses ground-penetrating radar to detect soil disturbances, was scheduled last week to begin looking for an estimated 25 graves, some as old as 130 years. But Damiata confirmed Tuesday that he had been busy helping decipher data while authorities dug in Phillip and Nancy Garrido's back yard.

Officials allege they abducted Jaycee Dugard in 1991 and held her for 18 years, and they were looking for connections to disappearances of two East Bay girls in 1988 and 1989.

Damiata also had trouble lining up equipment needed for the Crows Landing project, he said. Stanislaus County Deputy Executive Officer Keith Boggs said the search has been rescheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

Developer Gerry Kamilos of West Park LLC said he's paying $25,000 to $30,000 to look for graves on a former Navy airfield designated for his proposed 4,800-acre business and industrial park.