cockroach
6:02 am on September 8th, 2009
“As far as he’s concerned, it was an accident”. Yeah, cos heavy cement covers just happen to fall back in place after very strong four year olds decide that shit would be a nice thing to play in. My kids go “yuck, vomit spew” at the sight and smell of their own crap in the toilet, they hate the smell that sometimes comes from our septic tank and they intensely dislike public toilets. No way is a kid going to voluntarily put himself in one….even if he could. Mmmm, I smell more than shit here, I smell bullshit.
malq
6:04 am on September 8th, 2009
This is horrible. The fact that Terri’s interrogation was short and his was 5 hours speaks volumes. She probably threw him under the bus.
Evidence was lost in the shit tank. Imagine hiding a body there and having to know that the time will come when it has to get pumped out for routine maintenance. The killer will have to get in there and move the body so there will be no discovery. He wasn’t thinking to far ahead. moving a corpse you created, soaked in shit, is as gruesome as it gets.
qtrluna
8:47 am on September 8th, 2009
Poor little kid, murdered and thrown into a septic tank. What child deserves that? I hope they arrest the murderer real soon and lock them up for life. Just very sad and horrible.
CassieMomma
11:03 am on September 8th, 2009
Oh my. I hope all the details come out soon, this is heartbreaking!
MadeaBecBec
11:35 am on September 8th, 2009
Rest in Heavens Peace, Wyatt Smitsky!
Boughtthefarm
1:42 pm on September 8th, 2009
That is just disgusting. I hope the poor kid was already dead before he was put in that nasty septic tank. And I hope the bastard who did it fries!
Dr.Monoculous
8:47 pm on September 8th, 2009
I almost did a write up on this one. I like to add humor to my stuff, and just couldn’t come up with any.
Coyote
9:50 pm on September 8th, 2009
When I first read this story, I read a comment from one of the firefighters who assisted in the search, slamming the father coming right out and saying he was guilty of killing Wyatt. I tried to find it, but figured it was removed. I’m just waiting for them to charge the dad; this definitely wasn’t an accident.
JohnnyHorror
12:45 am on September 9th, 2009
This is one menacing story. Poor little guy, may he rest in peace.
luvmy82vette
1:19 am on September 9th, 2009
Officials take custody of boy’s sisters
No charges filed in death of Beaver County 4-year-old
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Beaver County officials have taken custody of the sisters of a 4-year-old boy who was found dead Saturday in a septic tank.
Tally Smitsky, 6, and her sister Paige, 3, were removed this weekend from the Greene home of John and Terri Smitsky, according to Giuseppe Rosselli, an attorney for Mr. Smitsky.
The girls’ brother, Wyatt, 4, went missing on Friday and was found in the septic tank around 12:25 p.m. Saturday after an extensive search of the area.
A Beaver County Children and Youth Services official ruled yesterday that the daughters should remain in county care, and they may be placed with one of the sets of grandparents, Mr. Rosselli said.
He said he didn’t know why the girls were removed.
Police are treating Wyatt’s death as a homicide and are awaiting autopsy results. Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi could not be reached for comment yesterday.
On Saturday afternoon, state police interviewed Mr. Smitsky for several hours and released him. He has not been charged with his son’s death, Mr. Rosselli said.
The attorney said he has spoken to about 30 friends and family members, and “No one thinks Mr. Smitsky is capable of such an act.”
The family reported that Wyatt was missing from their Georgetown Road home near Hookstown on Friday evening, and the search involved as many as 500 volunteers.
The septic tank lies along a fence line separating the Smitsky home from a neighbor’s property. It is deep enough for an adult man to enter it, police said.
Mr. Rosselli said Mr. Smitsky, who was making funeral arrangements for his son yesterday, is deeply distraught.
“The family still wants answers,” Mr. Rosselli said. “The family still wants to know what caused the death.”
Jerome L. Sherman can be reached at jsherman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1183.
First published on September 9, 2009 at 12:00 am
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09252/996607-57.stm#ixzz0QaFbyiMd
malq
5:46 am on September 9th, 2009
Whats going on here? is it possible the boy may have gotten in there by himself?
State police said Saturday they considered the death a homicide, had identified a suspect and expected to file charges after consulting with Berosh. They also described the metal lid covering the septic tank as a heavy manhole cover and said it would have been impossible for the boy to lift it and access the tank.
However, Beaver County Sheriff George David, who was at the Smitsky home when the boy was found, said the lid was a “very flimsy sheet of tin.”
http://www.timesonline.com/bct_news/news_details/article/1373/2009/september/08/state-police-still-treating-boys-death-as-a-homicide.html
Dneilz
1:38 pm on September 9th, 2009
maybe he fell in, but then how would the cover be put back into place??
MadeaBecBec
5:07 pm on September 9th, 2009
There’s this:
Channel 4 was there on Saturday when crews brought state police a thin metal sheet that neighbors said was the lid for that septic tank.
Troopers earlier told Channel 4 the tank had a heavy lid that a 4-year-old could not have lifted.
I have been looking for a photo of the lid, naughta, so far!
Channel4
Hanover
9:04 pm on September 11th, 2009
Here is the Septic Tank entrance. Please pray for the family.
http://www.wpxi.com/video/20745532/index.html
Wonder
2:36 am on September 12th, 2009
Oh that yard on the other side of the fence is dug up (looks like a grave, shovels laying near) and look 00:14 the bed of that pickup ???
State police said Saturday they considered the death a homicide, had identified a suspect and expected to file charges after consulting with Berosh.
Wonder
2:43 am on September 12th, 2009
However, Beaver County Sheriff George David, who was at the Smitsky home when the boy was found, said the lid was a “very flimsy sheet of tin.”
Berosh would neither comment on the lid nor say whether investigators still believe the boy was a victim of foul play.
Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi was unable to rule on the manner and cause of death after an autopsy Sunday, saying more tests were necessary. Berosh said forensic evidence, including tissue samples, would provide critical evidence on how the boy died. The tests can take up to four to eight weeks, he said.
this was from the link malq posted aboved, and that does appear to be the flimsy tin leaning against the fence.
Hanover
6:46 am on September 12th, 2009
I still believe that there was never a heavy object covering this hole. You can see that it looks like they have been working on the system.
If you google WPXI
Search Wyatt
AND
Search: Septic
This will give you more video. There is also a 10 minute news conference with the state police. Anyone having problems let me know and I will put the links up here. This kills me that this happened in my neighborhood. So sad
MadeaBecBec
3:22 pm on September 12th, 2009
That video was after they found Wyatt and drained the septic tank!! However, neighbors had stated that it was being worked on and Channel 4 reporters witnessed the search group bring that piece of tin to the Investigators and then led them back to where they found it! Then hazmat was brought in…
Also, the sisters initially told Mom that Wyatt had gone “under” the “sticky” fence and in hindsight, probably meant that piece of tin!! Maybe the State Police read Dreamin’ Demon on a daily basis……
I do believe the neighbor has some liability in Wyatts tragic death (I hope they have good insurance coverage) But, the parents, NO….
Such a shame and so very sad!
Hanover
9:02 am on September 13th, 2009
I sure hope something comes out soon. I think we have waited long enough to find out what really happened. I do believe the neighbor is liable for this. There is some more video on wtae, kdka and wpxi, which has the better of news stories.
Hanover
6:07 pm on September 15th, 2009
D.A. says boy could have moved septic tank lid
TEXT SIZE By: Bob Bauder – Beaver County Times
GREENE TWP. — A state police officer released incorrect information about the death of a 4-year-old Greene Township boy when he described the lid of a septic tank where the boy’s body was found as a manhole cover too heavy for the boy to move, the Beaver County district attorney said Monday.
The lid was in fact a 14-pound sheet of corrugated metal, light enough for 4-year-old Wyatt Smitsky to move unassisted, District Attorney Anthony Berosh said.
“I believe a 4-year-old could have moved it,” he said.
He said state police Lt. Thomas Dubovi, who addressed media after Smitsky’s body was discovered, erred in describing the septic tank lid as a manhole cover.
Berosh said the lid was a 3- by 4-foot sheet of tin or light metal covering a 23-inch opening to a 1,000-gallon septic tank. The metal was bowed, he said, but he was unsure how it became bent.
“In other words, it’s not anywhere close to being a manhole cover,” Berosh said. “We’re trying to determine whether the lid was on or off and when it was on and when it was off.”
Wyatt Smitsky, who measured 11 inches shoulder to shoulder, easily could have fit through the opening.
It was unclear Monday what happened to the tank’s original lid. Septic tanks are typically covered with a heavy concrete or metal lid similar to a manhole cover. The Times has received unconfirmed reports that the tank’s original lid was broken at some point, and the metal sheeting was used as a temporary cover.
The tank servicing the home of Wyatt Smitsky’s parents, Johnny and Terri Smitsky, at 635 Georgetown Lane is in the yard of a neighbor. Searchers drained the full tank and discovered the body at the bottom on Sept. 5, about 18 hours after Wyatt’s family reported him missing.
Advertisement The boy was outside playing with his two young sisters when he went missing. A search involving up to 500 volunteers and law enforcement officers continued until the body was found.
Berosh spent more than an hour Monday at the Smitsky home with state police, county detectives, the county coroner and a forensic pathologist, examining the tank and discussing the investigation.
He said police would continue to investigate the death as a homicide — a typical strategy in an unusual and unexplained death — but he was emphatic in noting that they were also considering other possibilities.
“We haven’t eliminated any possibility,” he said shortly after leaving the rural residence. “We’re looking at it from a criminal standpoint, an accidental standpoint and even a criminally negligent standpoint.”
Pittsburgh attorney Giuseppe Rosselli, who represents Johnny Smitsky, said Berosh’s comments were good news for his client and the Smitsky family.
“We’re very happy to hear that this is also being looked at as something other than a homicide investigation, and we support law enforcement’s efforts to give the family some closure,” Rosselli said.
State police questioned Johnny Smitsky and other family members for hours after the body was found and reported they had identified a suspect and anticipated filing homicide charges. Rosselli previously said police considered his client a suspect.
Berosh said it could take several months before the authorities can determine exactly how Wyatt Smitsky died. A final ruling will hinge on forensic evidence and laboratory tests along with witness accounts.
Monday September 14, 2009 09:11 PM
Veronica
6:45 pm on September 15th, 2009
This is looking more and more like a tragic accident, albeit one that was helped along by adult mistakes.
I must say, though, I’m not really clear on whether the neighbor is the one who’s liable simply because the septic tank is on his property, how can it be the neighbor’s septic tank if it services other homes? The house I grew up in had a septic tank, and all our neighbors had their own septic tanks. I thought that was how it works. The whole thing is very confusing. I really hope they clear it all up soon.
MadeaBecBec
9:51 pm on September 15th, 2009
In a rural community such as Green Township, many Farm families build homes close together and share septic tanks, especially large tanks, as well as share water pumps. I am unaware if this is what has occurred here, but it’s possible these two homes were once owned by a farm family and then sold as two lots or the one was sold/rented out and the septic tank shared by both.
Some people have commented at news sites that Mom should’ve been watching her children closer, but the 3 children were playing together in a fenced-in backyard, while dinner was being prepared, I believe this was /is a pretty normal routine, in rural life, where everyone knows who is who, so Mom wasn’t being negligent, in my opinion.
As far as the neighbor being negligent, no, I’m not saying that, but liable, yes, if someone is injured, maimed or dies on your property, you are liable for the accident, especially if it was caused by something that a property owner maintained. Just as if you have a swimming pool with an eight foot fence around it and locked gates, a child or someone goes in there and falls in the pool, permission or not, and is injured, you are liable, ask your Insurance agent about your property liability. Now this only pertains to those that do not permanently live there. If it’s a rented home, where the septic tank entrance is, the Owner is liable.
Wyatt having a heart condition, being a curious boy, could’ve moved that tin covering, then became faint and fell in. ??? Only two know exctly what happened!
A Tragic accident, that has no simple answers!
Hanover
8:06 pm on September 25th, 2009
So, What happened? Have not heard anything?
Hanover
5:25 pm on October 6th, 2009
Beaver Co. Boy’s Cause Of Death DeterminedGEORGETOWN (KDKA) ? Click to enlarge1 of 1
Wyatt Smitsky’s cause of death was ruled as asphyxia due to drowning on Tuesday.
KDKA
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numSlides of totalImages Related StoriesDA: Boy May Have Moved Septic Tank Cover Himself
(9/17/2009)
Funeral Services Held For 4-Year-Old Found Dead
(9/10/2009)
Family Attorney: Boy’s Father Considered A Suspect
(9/9/2009)
Community Remembers 4-Year-Old At Vigil
(9/7/2009)
The cause of death has been determined in case of a 4-year-old Beaver County boy, who was found dead in a septic tank last month.
According to Beaver County Coroner Terry Totalovich, the cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning. The manner of death could not be determined because the sequence of Smitsky’s death is still unknown.
Previously, the Beaver County District Attorney said Smitsky could have moved the lid of the septic tank himself.
According to the district attorney, the lid was a 14-pound sheet of metal, and not a heavy, dense manhole cover as described by state police.
The body of Wyatt Smitsky was found about 18 hours after he was reported missing by a relative from his home in Georgetown, Greene Township.
A massive search was undertaken by volunteers to find the little boy before the grim discovery was made.
Morbid
6:16 pm on October 6th, 2009
cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning
Ah, Christ. What a horrible way to go.
Hanover
11:23 pm on October 6th, 2009
BEAVER COUNTY TIMES
Coroner: Boy drowned in septic tank
TEXT SIZE
By: Bill Vidonic, Times Staff – Beaver County Times
Tuesday October 6, 2009 10:07 PM
The Beaver County coroner said Tuesday that a 4-year-old Greene Township boy died last month from asphyxiation due to drowning in a septic tank.
But Teri Tatalovich-Rossi said she’s labeling the manner of death for Wyatt Smitsky as undetermined because investigators still do not know how the boy ended up in the septic tank.
The coroner said she could change that ruling if investigators came up with additional information.
State police Trooper Craig McKean said Tuesday that they are continuing to investigate the boy’s death, including looking at evidence and interviewing people.
On the evening of Sept. 4, hundreds of searchers descended on the area surrounding the Smitsky family’s home at 635 Georgetown Lane after parents Johnny and Terri Smitsky reported Wyatt missing. He had disappeared while playing with his two sisters.
About 18 hours later, a septic tank on a neighboring property was drained, and Wyatt’s body was found at the bottom.
Tatalovich-Rossi said he apparently asphyxiated on the sludge inside the tank. She added that an autopsy showed he did not have any injuries to his body.
Usually, when coroners determine how a person died, they also rule on the manner: a natural death, accidental or a homicide.
In this case, Tatalovich-Rossi said investigators “don’t know the sequence of events that led up to” the boy being in the septic tank.
Pittsburgh lawyer Giuseppe Rosselli, who represents Johnny Smitsky, said Tatalovich-Rossi’s decision was “a good thing and not a good thing” for the Smitsky family.
“It’s not listed as a homicide, but it’s unfortunate we don’t know” the manner in which the boy died, Rosselli said. He said the Smitskys believe Wyatt’s death was an accident.
Rosselli said Johnny Smitsky broke down in tears when he talked with him at length on Monday.
“He’s still struggling with it,” Rosselli said. “He’s adjusting to life without his child.”
Advertisement State police questioned Johnny Smitsky and other family members for hours after the discovery of the boy’s body and announced they had a suspect in the death, though no one was named.
“Part of my client’s concerns are that he’s basically been branded as a suspect in the murder of his son. There’s a certain stigma attached,” Rosselli said.
According to the Beaver County district attorney’s office, the opening to the 1,000-gallon septic tank was covered with a 14-pound sheet of corrugated metal, light enough for the boy to move himself, though it’s not known whether Wyatt did so.
District Attorney Anthony Berosh said previously that the 3-by-4-foot metal sheet covered the 23-inch opening and investigators were trying to determine whether Wyatt moved it.
Berosh said Tuesday that since Wyatt’s death, the septic tank opening was covered with planks of wood and several cinder blocks, a cover that Berosh said he wasn’t satisfied with.
Berosh said Rosselli spoke with him last week to make sure that the family could go ahead and seal the tank permanently without interfering with the ongoing investigation. Berosh gave his approval and said that he’ll personally inspect the final result to make sure the tank is secure. Rosselli said the tank should be filled within a couple of days.
After Wyatt’s death, Beaver County Children and Youth Services removed the Smitskys’ two surviving children from their home.
The girls are living with their grandparents, Rosselli said. There’s to be a hearing in the next few days, at which time Rosselli said he’s hopeful the children can soon be reunited with their parents.
Bill Vidonic can be reached online at bvidonic@timesonline.com
sleepinwithangels
12:00 am on October 7th, 2009
Poor,Poor Boy..that really must rank up there in the top 3 worst ways to go…

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