Ailvie Rausch holds a sign in 2020 pleading for state police to make progress in their investigation of the death of her son, Scott Fosnaught, in July 2002. Butler Eagle File Photo

On July 17, 2002, Seneca Valley teens Scott Fosnaught and his friend Shawn Baur, both 15, were found dead on Cashdollar Road in Forward Township.

More than two decades later, Scott’s mother, Ailvie Rausch, said she is still looking for answers surrounding the mystery of her son and Shawn’s deaths.

Rausch, said the boys had spent the previous evening having a party at a nearby pond before leaving to spend the night at the home of mutual friend Danny Rice.

“But for some reason they decided to leave,” Rausch said. “Danny told two stories of why the boys left, so I don’t know which one’s true.”

In the first story, according to Rausch, the boys left after Shawn got “rowdy,” for fear of waking up Danny’s grandfather.

“The second story was Shawn got hungry, so he woke Scotty up, and Scotty didn’t want him walking alone so he went with him,” she said.

The result, however, was the same.

“They left Danny’s house around 1:20 a.m., and they were found off the road at, like, 1:50 a.m. by a motorist passing by,” Rausch said. “They said it was a hit and run.”

Despite being a hit and run, she said Shawn’s injuries were only to the top of his head.

“And my son, they said he was drug — I can’t remember how many feet – 25 to 40 feet,” Rausch said. “But when I identified him, there were very little markings on his face.”

She said she was skeptical of how he could have been dragged that distance with no injuries to his face.

“So I don’t really believe it was a hit-and-run,” Rausch said. “I’ve thought for a long time now that Scotty was also beat and then they ran him over to make it look like an accident — like a hit-and-run.”

In the 21 years since her son’s death, Rausch said she has been working with the district attorney as well as state police to shine a light on the case.

“I’ve had a rally up at the state police asking them to bring in more experienced people,” she said. “I’ve hung flyers, I’ve posted on Facebook, I did podcasts — I’ve done quite a bit over the years.”

State trooper Max Deluca currently is handling the case, according to Rausch, but as of this year there have been no substantial leads.

“I guess, I believe that quite a few people have to know what happened, and they just won’t come forward for some reason — even for a $25,000 reward,” she said. “It can’t be on one person that did this, and they couldn’t have kept quiet over 21 years, they had to have told somebody or acted differently.”

She said fund of more than $25,000 has been set up at NexTier Bank in Evans City, with Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers contributing a portion over the years.

“It had to have been someone that lived out there and knew about that road,” she said, “because it’s really secluded.”

Rausch said she chose not to do anything publicly for the 21st anniversary of the death, but is hoping to meet with Deluca soon.

“I usually have a vigil every anniversary, but this being the 21st anniversary, I didn’t do it,” she said.

She remembered her son as quiet, saying that he “would not harm a fly.”

“I mean, he didn’t like being confrontational in any way,” Rausch said. “He would avoid trouble. He was a quiet, good kid.”

Rausch said Scott and Shawn were close friends who both “loved fishing and riding their dirt bikes.”

“Shawn’s dad just passed away this past Saturday, so he missed the anniversary by two days,” Rausch said. “And he died without knowing; he passed away from cancer.

“I don’t want to be that person that dies without knowing.”