Cause and manner of death of Harmony business owner remain pending following autopsy
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the cause and manner of the death of 54-year-old Harmony business owner Tod DiMinno remain pending after an autopsy was conducted Monday.
DiMinno’s body was found Saturday afternoon in a car submerged in the Ohio River in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood on the North Shore. He last was seen Sept. 28 in Harmony and was reported missing two days later.
The medical examiner’s office said its investigation into DiMinno’s death is ongoing.
A longtime friend, Sierra Reynolds of Portersville, said she went to the site where the car was pulled from the river to remember DiMinno. She described him as a caring man who helped artists, such as her, to sell their works in his shop, the Harmony Emporium.
“For years he helped artists by selling their artwork in his shop. He encouraged people to be themselves in making art. He was very inspiring to be around,” Reynolds said.
She said he sold wind chimes, paintings, necklaces, pendants, blown glass, candles, soap, photographs and other works made by artists and crafters.
“I painted. He’s got a lot of mine. He sold a guitar I turned into a lamp. He’s done more for me than I can ever repay,” Reynolds said.
She said he is survived by his parents and a 5-year-old daughter.
Pittsburgh police were dispatched to the North Shore for a report of a vehicle submerged in the river with the body of a male inside after a film crew from the YouTube show “Adventures with Purpose,” based in Oregon, made the discovery.
Pittsburgh River Rescue, police and firefighters worked with the film crew and the Chaos Divers, another volunteer group, to remove the vehicle from the water, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.
The car was found in about 16 feet underwater and about 30 yards from the river bank. Sonar scanning revealed the section of river the crews searched included over 100 submerged vehicles.
Recovery crews unearthed DiMinno’s car while searching for Bunnie Lee and Janet Walsh, whom authorities had also declared missing in 2013 and early 2020, respectively.
