Decomposing body found in home could be missing woman
POLK, Venango County — A decomposing body found Thursday may be that of a woman reported missing from Emlenton since July 3 when she got on a motorcycle with an unknown man.
The Pennsylvania State Police in Venango County confirmed a death investigation is ongoing at a Hillcrest Avenue home in Polk, a small town 30 minutes north near Franklin.
According to a news release issued by state police, troopers responded to a request to check on the welfare of a person at that address at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and decided to enter the small home upon arrival.
“Officers discovered a decomposing body within the living room,” the news release states.
Authorities declined to release the victim's name until positive identification is made, although there could be a connection to the disappearance of the Emlenton woman.
An acquaintance of the missing woman identified her as Salina Chilson, 38. The friend told the Butler Eagle that Chilson's male roommate received a visit at 4 a.m. Friday from police. Pam Kuhrt further told the Eagle that authorities also asked the roommate for Chilson's toothbrush and hairbrush so investigators could perform DNA testing on a body they had found.
Randy Adams, whose auto shop abuts the Polk property being investigated, told the Eagle on Friday morning that police, forensics investigators and the Venango County Coroner have been in and out of his neighbor's house, which is considered a crime scene.
Adams said his neighbor was a truck driver who worked for an Emlenton trucking company that closed and came to the house two or three weeks ago to retrieve the red tractor-trailer owned by the company.
While rumors swirl in the small towns of Emlenton and Polk, Chilson's family and friends, as well as Adams, wait for the state police to identify the body found on Hillcrest Avenue.
