Who Killed Yolanda Bindics

Who killed Yolanda Bindics?

25 year old, Yolanda Bindics was last seen about 8:20pm Tuesday, August 10th, 2004.
She and a coworker had just locked up at the Family Dollar store on Fluvanna Avenue were she was employed.
The night she went missing, Yolanda Bindics told her brother, who was watching the girls,
that she was going to stop to buy some milk on her way home from work. This is last known conversation.

Her car was found at seven o’clock the next night at the Arby’s Restaurant also on Fluvanna Avenue.
Yolanda is five foot seven, 97 – 115 pounds with blond hair and hazel eyes.
She has four small brown moles diagonally down the left cheek
She was last seen wearing khaki pants and a black polo shirt with Family Dollar written in red on it.
Her body was found on September 10th 2006.

Timeline:

Friday, August 13, 2004

Yolanda Bindics, an employee at the Family Dollar Store, closed the shop Tuesday Night around 8:30, but never came home.

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Car found at nearby Arby’s restaurant

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Jamestown Law Enforcement Officer placed on administrative leave due to personal relationship with Yolanda

Monday, August 23, 2004

Officer Michael Watson of Jamestown PD named as person of interest

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Law Enforcement says there are no suspects at this time

Thursday, August 26, 2004

search was centered around Maccadem Industries gravel pits and the surrounding area that is made up of marsh, ponds and railroad tracks. Police say that they were looking for any clues, evidence or anything suspicious. Among some items found were some footprints, a water logged photo album and a blue tarp. Police are not confirming whether the items are significant to the case.

Friday, August 27, 2004

Another “Person of Interest”, has been named, Clarence Carte (aka Carl). Police brought His car in as possible evidence. Investigators are performing forensic tests on Carl’s car but aren’t commenting on what they are looking for. Carl Carte was arrested today on unrelated charges. Carl Carte is reportedly the father of Bindic’s youngest child.

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Police are questioning a “person of interest” in connection with the disappearance of Yolanda Bindics, who hasn’t been seen since August 10th. Clarence (Carl) Carte of Jamestown, New York, was arraigned Saturday morning, and charged as a “Fugitive from Justice.” He’s wanted in Florida for violation of probation on a robbery. He was arrested on Friday without incident.

Monday, August 30, 2004

Investigators confirm that Carte is “not a top person of interest” in Bindics’s disappearance.

Thursday, September 2, 2004

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. Authorities today are searching a gorge in western New York for clues.
Authorities say they decided to search the gorge after learning one of their persons of interest visited the area. Police will not release that person’s name; however, they said the search had nothing to do with Clarence Carte.

Friday, September 3, 2004

The search in a wooded area in Chautauqua County. Jamestown Police Dept. Det. Scott Depietro said, “It’s a site that’s been associated with some of the people we’ve been talking to and we’re just looking into every direction that this case could take us.” Investigators say they have several persons of interest in the case and some of them have spent time camping in the gorge.
Police searched a mile and a half square radius, including campsites at the end of Hammon Road. They found many articles of clothing. They do have some new information from their search, but they will not discuss it.

Wednesday, September 8, 2004

Jamestown Police confirm several items, including a purse, belonging to Yolanda Bindics have been found at 8th and Monroe in the City of Jamestown. Those items were found this morning near a sewer, apparently not far from where Bindics disappeared on August 10th. Yolanda’s purse apparently washed up out of the sewers after heavy rains and flooding in the area. A passerby found the person and called police. Hours after the discovery, police found Bindics’s key chain in another storm drain near 6th and Jefferson just up the road. They said all of the items had likely been disposed of days ago… if not significantly longer. All items found are being sent to a forensic lab.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Police have found another piece of physical evidence in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Yolanda Bindics.
A search of a Jamestown storm sewer turned up a personal set of keys belonging to Yolanda.
Investigators on the case continue to canvass the area where the items were found in an attempt to find anyone who may have seen someone getting rid of them.

Monday, October 4, 2004

A Jamestown city police officer who has been on leave since shortly after the disappearance of a mother of four was arrested today on unrelated stalking charges. Officer Michael Watson was released on $10,000 bail after being charged one count of official misconduct, two counts of stalking, two counts of harassment and four counts of aggravated harassment. Police released no details on the stalking charges.

Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Jamestown Police Officer Michael Watson is accused of harassing and stalking a number of women. Former Jamestown Police Dept. employee, Crystal Butera says she’s one of them. Officer Watson has been suspended from the department without pay after an internal investigation, and is free on $10,000 dollars bail pending a hearing. Authorities say his case will be transferred out of the area so he can receive a fair trial if he decides to fight the charges.
Police say the charges are not related to the Bindics case, but that Watson is still a person of interest.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Article in paper: The day Yolanda Bindics disappeared her family was expecting some sort of news from her.  In the last days before her disappearance, her family said she was waiting to tell them a secret.  Now, three months after the Jamestown mother of four officially became a missing person her family still wonders what she had to tell them.

“She had something urgent to tell us and said she would be calling us that night to let us know what her secret was,” said Margaret Ostrom, Yolanda’s sister. “She seemed very concerned and worried. I believe she may have had a doctor’s appointment the Friday before she disappeared. I wonder if she had received results of some kind of test, possibly a pregnancy test or maybe the results form some life threatening health problem.”
Ms. Ostrom said the Jamestown Police Department was notified early in the investigation of a possible doctor’s appointment and said that police had access to the information after they received all of her medical records.

“I am unhappy with police investigation and feel that several facts have been overlooked, ” Ms. Ostrom said. “The big thing is that this isn’t the first case that has come up in Jamestown.”

Jamestown police have one officer assigned to the case until it is solved, and the FBI continues to investigate the case. ” We have not overlooked any information that was presented to us and feel that we have covered all of the bases and followed leads tat we receive.” said Capt. Lee Davies of the Jamestown Police Department. “We are currently waiting for the forensic lab results, which take a long time to develop and their return is pending.”

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Here are some new developments in the case; Yolanda went on a weekend getaway to the Niagara Falls, Ontario Casino with Darien Thomas, the father of her 5-year-old daughter, Courtney. They were starting to re-kindle their relationship. But she was also apparently having a relationship with Jamestown police officer, Michael Watson. Her family believes she was with Watson the weekend before her trip with Darien.
The night she disappeared, family members say she was planning on telling them a secret. “We really don’t know what the secret was. We speculated that she was pregnant, but I think they found out she wasn’t pregnant,” said Patricia Bindics. That’s right according to police.

All four fathers of Yolanda’s four children have cooperated with police. Officer Michael Watson has been suspended without pay and is considered a person of interest in the missing person case.

“I really can’t get into who we’ve eliminated and who we are looking closer at, that’s still part of this investigation,” said Detective Osterdahl. “For this to happen to her and for what reason, I just can’t put my finger on it. But there’s a reason that some one wanted her out of the way, we have our own thoughts as to why this happened but proving it is another thing,” said Detective Art Osterdahl, Jamestown Police.

“Yolanda’s purse and personal items were dumped in a storm drain on or about August 10th,” said Detective Osterdahl. Police now know exactly which storm drain that items were discarded. “Those items have been sent out to be processed for prints along with other items of evidence,” said Detective Osterdahl.

The search for Yolanda Bindics and who took her continues. “I’m not going to give up looking for her or following every lead I can find, until I find out what happened to her,” said Detective Osterdahl.

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Jamestown Police Officer, Michael Watson, filed suit against the city of Jamestown and is seeking damages for defamation of character due to the negligent use of the term “Person of Interest” in the disappearance of Yolanda Bindics. Chief William MacLaughlin, Lt. Todd Isaacson, and Captain Lee Davies are all named as Defendants in the suit.
Watson’s attorney, Paul Webb claims that Watson immediately told his supervisor about his relationship with Yolanda Bindics. Web says Watson took and passed a lie detector test, which was never revealed to the public.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

The City of Jamestown is counter-suing suspended police officer, Michael Watson, who is taking them to court for slander.
Watson says the Jamestown Police Department tarnished his name by referring to him as a person of interest in the disappearance of Yolanda Bindics. Jamestown Police have called Watson a person of interest in the Bindics case because he once had a relationship her. Any Person who had a relationship with Yolanda is considered a person of interest.
Watson says he can account for his whereabouts at the time of her disappearance. However, the Jamestown Police Department says their evidence tells a different story. The countersuit also claims that Watson Did NOT pass the Lie Detector Test.
The Jamestown Police Department has also been informed by the FBI that their agency can’t clear Watson’s name from the case.

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September 19, 2006

Human remains found by hunters last weekend in a wooded area of Chautauqua County are those of missing Jamestown woman Yolanda Bindics, authorities confirmed Monday.

A forensic dentist at the Erie County medical examiner’s office made the determination by comparing the remains to Bindics’ dental records, authorities said. It revealed a 100 percent match, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney David W. Foley.

The news was bittersweet for the Bindics family, which spearheaded massive search parties for the young woman in the weeks and months after her disappearance and for two years publicly pleaded for her safe return or information on her whereabouts. The case drew national attention.

“A lot of us had a feeling it was her,” said Anne Chmielew-ski of Buffalo, one of Bindics’ 10 sisters and brothers. “Every single day, we were wondering where she was. Now this brings a sense of peace, knowing that we can give her a proper burial.”

Human remains found by hunters last weekend in a wooded area of Chautauqua County are those of missing Jamestown woman Yolanda Bindics, authorities confirmed Monday.

A forensic dentist at the Erie County medical examiner’s office made the determination by comparing the remains to Bindics’ dental records, authorities said. It revealed a 100 percent match, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney David W. Foley.

The news was bittersweet for the Bindics family, which spearheaded massive search parties for the young woman in the weeks and months after her disappearance and for two years publicly pleaded for her safe return or information on her whereabouts. The case drew national attention.

“A lot of us had a feeling it was her,” said Anne Chmielew-ski of Buffalo, one of Bindics’ 10 sisters and brothers. “Every single day, we were wondering where she was. Now this brings a sense of peace, knowing that we can give her a proper burial.”

Friday, December 15, 2006

Bindics Death Ruled Homicide
In a brief press conference, Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley officially announced that the death of Yolanda Bindics was a homicide. She had been missing for two years before her remains were found in September. Foley says Bindics’ family had been briefed but says they were asked not to comment on the matter. Foley could not comment on any specifics that might compromise the ongoing investigation. Police refuse to say they have any suspects, only ‘‘persons of interest.’’ Foley says there are no other new developments in the case but officials say now they can continue moving forward with the investigation.

Yolanda Bindics on the Charley Project site

Friday, August 3, 2007

“We’ve narrowed our scope in particular areas and a particular person,” said Jamestown Police Det. Lt. Todd Isaacson last September, shortly after Bindics’ body was found. At least two persons of interest had been named — former Jamestown Police officer Michael Watson, who allegedly had a relationship with Bindics and Clarence Carte, the father of her youngest child. So far, no charges have been filed.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Bindics Family Still Seeking Closure
Though three years have passed since Jamestown resident Yolanda Bindics was last seen alive, police say it isn’t time to give up hope that her murderer will one day be brought to justice. They believe they know who did it, according to Lt. Todd Isaacson, who heads the Jamestown Police Department detective bureau and has been on the case since Ms. Bindics was first reported missing in 2004. He says they believe they know who murdered Ms. Bindics and then hid her body in a remote stretch of woods a few miles northeast of Sinclairville.

Isaacson believes the killer is out there, in the area, almost within reach, and police only need that one piece of evidence, that silver bullet, to make the arrest. ‘‘We certainly narrowed the focus of our investigation to a particular area and a particular individual,’’ Isaacson said. ‘‘The discovery of the body and the location of the body certainly played into our theory of who is responsible. It is a very isolated area we believe is very familiar to the individual we believe is responsible for her death.’’

As early as June 2006, Jamestown police said they had a pretty good idea what happened Aug. 10, 2004, the night Ms. Bindics left the Family Dollar store on Fluvanna Avenue at 8:30 p.m. after telling her brother over the phone that she was off to buy groceries. Police reiterated their beliefs after Ms. Bindics’ remains were discovered by hunters on Sept. 10 just west of the Earl O. Cardot Eastside Overland Trail, which winds through private property and state forests in eastern Chautauqua County.

But the assurances are not much comfort to Ms. Bindics’ friends and family, who had to wait more than two years before knowing what became of her and another year without knowing who is responsible for her death. ‘‘I don’t know. I’m not really sure why they haven’t arrested anyone,’’ said Buffalo resident Anne Chmielewski, Yolanda’s sister. ‘‘It sounds to me, based on everything they’ve said and done and found, that they should have plenty to make an arrest. … It gets so frustrating. They’re supposed to know. Then what’s the problem? Where does the issue lie?’’

Both Isaacson and Mrs. Chmielewski spoke to The Post-Journal on Friday, the three-year anniversary of the day Ms. Bindics was last seen alive. For Mrs. Chmielewski, the biggest regret seems to be the fact that the remains will probably not be released to the family until an arrest has been made.

Isaacson says he appreciates and sympathizes with Ms. Bindics’ friends and family, who may have found some closure when they finally learned what happened to her but do not have a grave beside which to grieve. ‘‘There’s closure, but there’s also that healing and grieving part of recovery, which is literally being able to go to the cemetery and have your moment,’’ Isaacson said. ‘‘We have to be patient. We’re not going to change what happened. I’d like an answer sooner rather than later like the family. … I await the day to lock this individual up for causing her death.’’

Who Killed Yolanda Bindics?

Monday, November 5, 2007

Funeral Services
It has been over three years since Yolanda Bindics disappeared. Her family is now finally able to give her a proper burial.

The young mother of four was last seen August 10, 2004 when she left work at the Family Dollar in Jamestown. Hunters found her body in September, 2006 in a remote, wooded area in Chautauqua County.

Police still have not identified her killer.

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