The search for Andy Tench, the Belmont man who vanished in March, hit a roadblock as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) announced they will not excavate a landfill where his body is believed by some, to be. Despite a suspect's confession to disposing of Tench's body in a dumpster, the CMPD finds the evidence insufficient for such an operation. As per the CMPD's statement, expert consultation on the Anson County landfill's operations and size led to this conclusion, a detail covered by FOX8.
The decision has been met with frustration and resolve from Tench's family. His mother, Tracie Blanton, expressed her determination to continue the search for her son despite what she perceives as a lack of concern from law enforcement. "They don't care and to me, it's saying, 'Oh, that will cost money, and we don't know for sure that he's there,’” Blanton expressed to WSOCTV. She emphasized her targeted request for the search area, which she narrowed down to a specific section of the landfill, 150-foot-by-200-foot in size and about 20 feet deep.
Tench was last seen on March 24, the day before his intended birthday celebration in Charlotte. D’Shaun Montrell Robinson, who has been charged with concealment of a death and identity theft in relation to Tench’s disappearance, told authorities he put Tench's body in a trash bin. However, further evidence to corroborate this account appears to be lacking. According to a statement obtained by The Charlotte Observer, CMPD Deputy Chief Tonya Arrington acknowledged the anguish and desire for closure in such circumstances, affirming the investigation's active status.
In the wake of the CMPD's announcement, public outcry has been notable, with over 1,000 signatures collected on a petition to compel the search. Blanton criticised the police for not acting swiftly enough to review security footage which could have provided pertinent evidence, "They don’t have corroborative evidence because the detective and CMPD waited two weeks to go see the footage of the dumpster, so it was recorded over,” she said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer. CMPD has not disclosed which landfill expert's counsel they followed, and the case remains open, encouraging anyone with information to reach out through Crime Stoppers.
