YOUNGSTOWN DNA test fails to prove ID of body

The confusion has been very hard on the family, the sister of the deceased said.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Anxiously awaited DNA test results have proved inconclusive, leaving a local family and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown looking for another facility to do more tests to find out whether remains buried in Calvary Cemetery are those of Patrick L. Lantz.
"The letter we got said there was some difficulty getting results because of the age of the remains," said Sherry Lantz of Fort Myers, Fla., formerly of Youngstown.
Lantz told The Vindicator on Friday that DNA Analysis Inc. of Cincinnati received samples in August and performed several tests before informing the diocese and the family it was unable to prove definitely that the remains are those of her brother.
Lantz said the last time she spoke to representatives from DNA Analysis, they thought they had a good sample from the skull and they would have an answer by this week.
"I feel like they strung us along for no reason at all," Lantz said.
Calls to DNA Analysis were not returned.
Mistake uncovered
Through some mistake made when Patrick was buried in 1974, officials at the diocese-owned cemetery contend, he was buried in one spot, but his grave marker was placed several plots away. Cemetery officials contend that their records show the correct grave, however.
The problem was uncovered in 1999 when the family tried to have Patrick moved from the children's section closer to his father's grave.
After the family filed a lawsuit in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court earlier this year, the diocese agreed to pay for DNA testing to determine if the remains are Patrick's, as diocese officials have contended.
Monsignor Robert J. Siffron said the diocese will continue to investigate other DNA testing companies in hopes of finding one that can give a definitive answer.
"We want to give the family the best assurance that those are indeed Patrick's remains, so we can put him to rest again peacefully," he said.
The Rev. Siffron said the skull is being sent back to the diocese so either it or another sample can be tested at another site.
He said the diocese is seeking advice on the best sites in hopes more extensive tests can produce more conclusive results.
"We want to have as prompt a response as we can, but we want to be as comprehensive as possible," he said.
Lantz said the wait has been hard on the family, especially her mother.
"I just don't know how much more she can take," she said. "When we got the letter, she just broke down and cried like I've never seen before.
"She thought she was finally going to get the answer."
slshaulis@vindy.com