State police offers rewards for unsolved murder cases in Butler County
State police is offering a $10,000 cash reward for information that could close the book on a case involving the murders of two Butler County teenagers.
In a Facebook post by PSP Tips on Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, state police said they are still actively seeking help from anyone who can help solve the 2002 murders of two 15-year-olds.
“The Pennsylvania State Police Troop D—Butler CIA & Major Case Team CIA Unit and Troop D, Major Case Team continue their investigation of the criminal homicide of Scott Fosnaught and Shawn Baur,” a portion of the post read.
The reward amount was raised to $10,000 “within the last year or two,” according to Scott’s mother, Ailvie Rausch, who has not given up hope despite a lack of new information in recent years.
“In years past, my husband and I would have candlelight vigils and hold them up at the barracks on Cashdollar Road and up at the cemetery, we’d plant flowers around,” she said. “I also have posted a lot of stuff on Facebook in hopes people would share, and it would get back to just that one person that would know something.”
Rausch also said several years ago, a friend of the Baurs set up a way for individuals and businesses to donate. To her knowledge, that endeavor netted an additional $15,000.
On July 17, 2002, at about 1:30 a.m., Fosnaught and Baur were found lying on Cashdollar Road in Forward Township.
County 911 was contacted by a passing motorist who saw the boys on the road. According to police, it appeared as if they had been struck by a vehicle.
Fosnaught was found deceased and Baur was transported from the scene and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
According to police, the boys were walking home from a friend’s house and would have used Cashdollar Road to get home, but it isn’t exactly clear why they left.
“I believe there’s quite a few people” withholding information about the case, Raush said. “Evans City is a small town.”
Anyone with information on this incident are asked to contact PSP Tips at 1-800-4PA-TIPS or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107.
State police is also offering a $5,000 reward for information regarding the murder of Seneca Valley High School teacher Steven Russo, who was found shot to death in his home along Perry Highway in Lancaster Township on Nov. 24, 2010.
According to police, on Nov. 23, 2010, Russo, 48, had returned from school for lunch the day before and discovered an intruder in the home. A neighbor observed a male running out of the house, and state police found signs of a forced entry.
However, they have not determined whether that incident and Russo's death are related.
Russo was found by his daughter on the kitchen floor after he was shot in the head with a small-caliber gun.
Troopers searched for a pedestrian who may have been walking on state Route 19 near the Log Cabin Restaurant on the mornings of Nov. 23 and 24.
Anyone with information on this incident are asked to contact PSP Tips at 1-800-4PA-TIPS or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107.
