Bulldozers tore through two backyards on Gregory Creek for a third straight day Thursday morning as investigators from multiple Ohio agencies kept digging without saying what, or who, they're looking for. The search began Tuesday and has grown to include canines, drone surveillance and heavy machinery, turning a quiet West Chester Township block into the center of an unexplained criminal investigation.
West Chester Township police, Fairfield Township police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations have been working the two properties since Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to FOX19. By Wednesday evening the agencies had entered what FOX19 described as day two of executing a court-ordered search warrant, with investigators seen excavating and moving ground with bulldozers while officials kept quiet on their target. Fairfield Township police told the station they expected the search to continue into Thursday.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the operation continued Thursday, the third day law enforcement officials have dug in the Butler County neighborhood as part of the court-ordered search. Investigators have not disclosed what or whom they are looking for, the paper notes, a detail that has left neighbors and onlookers guessing as heavy equipment continues to churn through the soil.
A Court-Authorized Dig With Few Public Details
Fairfield Township police have confirmed the operation is a court-authorized evidence search approved by a judge, according to WCPO. The station reported that canines are also part of the effort, and that drone footage captured excavators working and digging near several sheds and properties. WCPO described the dig site as two properties on Gregory Greek Drive, while other reporting has placed the search on Gregory Creek Lane; Hoodline could not independently confirm which address is accurate.
Both properties under excavation are owned by the same person, FOX19's report states. That detail has taken on added significance given what local outlets have learned about the owner's recent death, even as the underlying reason for the search remains undisclosed.
Property Owner Died Recently, Cause Still Pending
The owner of the property has been identified as 72-year-old Lawana Tzeiranakis, who WCPO reported died about a week before the search began. A separate account from WLWT identified her as Lawana Kay Tzeiranakis and said she died seven days before the dig started; Hoodline is presenting both versions because the exact timing could not be independently verified. The Butler County coroner told WLWT that the cause and manner of her death are still pending.
Detectives have not disclosed what they are searching for or the nature of the crime being investigated, per the same WLWT account. Authorities told the station they are convinced that whatever they're looking for is on the property, and they plan to continue working until they find it — a level of certainty that has kept bulldozers running for three consecutive days without a public explanation.
WLWT's reporting describes detectives from West Chester, Fairfield Township and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation working the site for two days using heavy machinery and K-9 units, an escalation that points to how seriously investigators are treating whatever evidence they believe remains buried on the grounds. No arrests, charges or additional findings have been publicly announced as the search extends into its third day.
