The remains of a Verona man missing since December were found Tuesday near the Fox Chapel home of a man accused of fatally shooting a Baldwin resident last month, investigators said.
The mother of Christian Moore-Rouse, 22, of Verona, said the remains were that of her son.
Rouse’s mother, Lee Reed, said she went to the address earlier in the day because “God told me to go there.”
Statement from Casey White, Rosenberg’s attorney, who spoke on behalf of the family. pic.twitter.com/GykvhG41Dl
— Dillon Garrett Carr (@dillonswriting) March 3, 2020
Fox Chapel Police Chief Dave Laux said the remains were found near the home where Adam Rosenberg, 21, lived with his parents on Settlers Ridge Road.
Rosenberg is in jail and has been charged with homicide, robbery, tampering with evidence and firearms violations in connection with the Feb. 15 death of Jeremy Dentel, 28, of Baldwin. Rosenberg was arrested Feb. 19.
Police didn’t say if the remains are connected to Rosenberg.
In fact, Allegheny County released a statement Tuesday night that stated that the county police have “received several inquiries this evening in response to statements by family members of Christian Moore-Rouse that investigators were told that Adam Rosenberg was involved in his disappearance back in December.”
A statement attributed to county police Superintendent Coleman McDonough reads: “We understand that these are trying times for the family, but we disagree with that characterization.
“The Allegheny County Police Department received this case on January 6. The name Adam, without a last name, was provided to investigators in January. He was identified as an acquaintance of Mr. Moore-Rouse, as were others, but not implicated in Mr. Moore-Rouse’s disappearance.”
Rosenberg’s attorney, Casey White, said earlier in the day that the family is “deeply saddened” by the situation.
“It’s traumatic, and they’re trying to wrap their heads around the situation,” White said. “They’re saddened by the allegations and saddened by what’s happening right now. We don’t have all the answers. We’re trying to figure out what exactly’s going on and what the allegations are.”
White declined to comment when asked if Rosenberg was cooperating with investigators.
Allegheny County Police are handling the investigation. Fox Chapel Police are assisting.
Laux said police received information through an investigation that there may be a body in the area and found it during a search around 11:45 a.m.
He declined to say how investigators came about that information.
“It’s still an open and active investigation,” Laux said.
The body wasn’t found on the Rosenbergs’ property, Laux said. Moore-Rouse instead was found in a heavily wooded area across the street, which is owned by the borough as part of a parkland conservancy.
The remains weren’t buried, Laux said. He declined to describe the condition of the remains.
Gus Damian, a neighbor and friend of the Rosenbergs, said he is shocked.
“The whole family is great,” he said from his front porch. “They’re a solid family with an excellent reputation — very family oriented.”
Damian, 60, had just learned about the human remains found in a wooden area near his and the Rosenbergs’ home.
“Obviously, I’m struggling,” he said. “It’s disturbing. I mean, it’s disturbing when any human remains are found.”
Although he doesn’t know Adam Rosenberg personally, Damian said their families are friends and have interacted on different occasions, such as the bar mitzvah of the Rosenbergs’ oldest son.
“I just hope for peace to come out of this somehow,” Damian said.
Moore-Rouse was last seen Dec. 21 at the Dollar Tree on Rodi Road in Penn Hills, police said. Verona Police notified Allegheny County Police of his disappearance on Jan. 6.
