Police returned to a wooded area in Prince George’s County, Md., Wednesday to search again for the body of Shaquita Bell.
Front-loaders scraped the ground and cadaver dogs were used to search for Bell’s remains, News4's Pat Collins. Family members said they want Bell's remains found so she can be given a proper final resting place that the family can visit.
Bell was last seen alive by her boyfriend, Michael Dickerson, in June 1996. In 2008, Dickerson confessed to killing her and burying her in the woods off Old Fort Road. Authorities even took Dickerson to the wooded area and he pointed to where they should look, but repeated searches have failed to find Bell’s remains. During a search in August 2009, searchers unearthed a piece of clothing and a shoe that appeared to be Bell’s size.
In January 2009, Dickerson was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison as part of his plea agreement. He had already spent 12 years in prison for assaulting Bell.
Bell disappeared days before she planned to testify against Dickerson in a June 1996 trial for assaulting her. According to court documents, Dickerson was afraid Bell would talk about a murder he’d committed.
Dickerson also was charged with murder in the death of Sean Anthony Thomas.
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