Officials await evidence to ID 2 bodies

The house in which the bodies were found was the site of a break-in last week.
By TIM YOVICH
Vindicator Trumbull Staff
NEWTON FALLS -- Officials are trying to determine whether a 70-year-old woman and her daughter were killed inside the mother's Newton Township home.
The bodies of two people who were burned beyond recognition were found early Thursday evening in the basement of the home of Wanda Rollyson at 3754 Newton-Bailey Road.
Frank Tomaino, Newton Township police chief, said Wednesday that police have been unable to locate either Rollyson or her daughter, Becky Vargo Cliber, who is in her mid-40s.
Cliber had been living with her mother but of late had moved into government-assisted housing in Warren, the chief explained.
Tomaino said the Trumbull County Coroner's Office is trying to use dental records to determine the identities of the bodies and the cause of their deaths. Autopsies were scheduled for today.
Recent turmoil
The home was broken into last week when someone entered by breaking the back door window, and syringes were taken, Tomaino said, noting that Rollyson is a diabetic who took insulin injections.
Tomaino said a family member is a suspect in the break-in.
The hole in the window hadn't been repaired, the chief explained, making it easy for someone to get inside the house.
Time frame
Tomaino said he has a pretty good idea of when the homicides occurred but wouldn't discuss it publicly.
Arson investigators have taken samples from the home to determine what type of accelerant was used to start the fire.
"It's hard to say what was used," Tomaino said of a possible murder weapon. He noted that any weapon could have been thrown in the fire with the bodies.
The remains were discovered after a granddaughter, Melissa Berry of Austintown, went to the house to check on her grandmother. It's unclear how Berry is related to Cliber.
Berry went to the back door, the chief said. When she smelled an odor as if something had been burned, she called 911, about 5:45 p.m.
In shock
Sandy Sanford has been a neighbor of Rollyson's for 29 years. When Sanford moved into her home, Rollyson walked over and introduced herself, welcoming her to the rural neighborhood.
"I just can't believe it happened," Sanford said of the deaths.
Rollyson, who was retired from working in area hospital laundries, reared two of her four grandchildren, Sanford said.
The two she reared had "given her a lot of problems," she added.
After Rollyson's husband died about two years ago, the neighbor recalled, all the grandchildren "took over the house."
"She was at wit's end. She didn't know what she was going to do," Sanford said, noting there was a lot of traffic in and out of the house.
She explained that Cliber and a son lived in Rollyson's basement. Lately, however, she noticed that the basement lights hadn't been on, as if the daughter and grandson had left, and Rollyson "seemed to be more settled."
"It looked like she was doing better" the last two months, Sanford said.
On Friday, Julie Billock of Warren, Rollyson's great-niece, showed up at the murder scene trying to find out what happened. She and her family wanted to know.
"I don't know who would want to hurt her. She was a gentle person," Billock said, noting her great-aunt was mentally sound and regularly attended General Assembly Church of God.
This is the second double homicide in this usually quiet community since 2000.
On June 23 of that year, Garry D. Bell, 40, of Leavittsburg and Charles Mathey III, 40, of Newton Falls were shot to death and a third man wounded at a township house.
Police said their shootings took place during a robbery of drugs and money.
yovich@vindy.com