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Pa. businessman fatally stabbed

GREENVILLE, Pa. – More than 70 stab wounds were found on the body of a well-known local businessman discovered dead in his home Thursday morning.

When Frank Crash, 76, owner of Crash Auto Wrecking, didn’t show up to work, his daughter Pamela Higbee went to his residence at 362 Mercer Road. According to court records, she discovered Crash in a pool of blood in his kitchen. A cell phone broken in two was found near Crash’s body and missing from the house was a four-carat diamond ring.

Records state the back entrance to his house had been forced open and the home phone had been ripped from the wall. Police are not releasing the search warrant for Crash’s residence. They have released a search warrant his cell phone and home phone records.

Police also filed a search warrant for the home of one of Crash’s daughters Susan Brenneman after an off-duty police officer reported seeing her walking toward Crash’s house Wednesday. Brenneman was wearing a light blue shirt at the time.

According to court reports an officer approached Brenneman Thursday as she walked toward her South Mercer Street apartment. Noting three bandages on her pinky finger, she said she was cut while opening a can.

Police arrived at her apartment and met with John Rice, with whom she is living with. Rice invited police into the apartment where they noticed blood on the bathroom floor. Rice confirmed that Brenneman had told him that she cut her finger while opening a can.

After an unsuccessful search for the can inside, Rice directed police to a garbage tote outside. There, they discovered a light blue shirt that appeared to have blood on it. According to the report, it was also soaked in an unknown chemical. Rice confirmed to police that the shirt belonged to Brenneman.

Police removed several carpet samples from her apartment, along with several blood samples, four black-handled steak knives, a blue towel with blood, a photo of Crash wearing the diamond ring and a can of gravy.

Mercer County Coroner J. Bradley McGonigle ruledCrash’s death a homicide on Friday following an autopsy and named the cause of death “sharp force injury to the trunk.”

Police have not released whether or not Brenneman is a subject of interest. The investigation is ongoing and, according to the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, investigators will be meeting today to pool their information.

Crash was a member of St. Michael’s Church in Greenville and the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks Lodge 145, Greenville. He served as a volunteer firefighter at Conneaut Lake Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 and was well known in the community for his auto shop, which he founded in 1959.

According to the company’s Facebook page, his “passion for Crash’s and this industry not only help to transform the profession but also the town of Greenville. He was truly thankful for all of his clients and the support of the community in building Crash’s.”

A post announcing Crash’s death was met with more than 100 comments expressing condolences. The shop will be closed today as funeral services are being held at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Michael Roman Catholic Church, Greenville, Pa. They will reopen Wednesday at 8 a.m.

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