Prince dig moves into fifth day

TAMPA -- Temple Terrace police say they will continue to dig under a South Tampa home on Tuesday, looking for the body of Sandra Prince.

Tuesday will mark the fifth day detectives have toiled at 3908 W Vasconia St., searching for evidence of Prince beneath a two-story vacant home built around the time she vanished.

They began their search on Thursday, continued with help of Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Tampa police through Saturday. Though they took Sunday off, they were back at work today.

Prince, who was 59 when she disappeared, was first reported missing on Jan. 3, 2006, by neighbors.

Nine months later, police named Earl C. Pippin III a "person of interest" in the case. Pippin, a contractor who built the Vasconia house in 2006, knew Prince for five years. Police say they were sweethearts.

They also say Pippin is the sole beneficiary to Prince's estate. Pippin's attorney, Paul Sisco, refutes all of the agency's claims against his client, saying they have no evidencing linking Pippin to Prince's disappearance.

Detectives first secured a warrant to search the the Vasconia house in October. That time, they removed almost 300 pounds of dirt samples from beneath the foundation. Forensic anthropologists from University of South Florida spent months combing through the core samples to look for evidence of Prince.

Last week, lead Detective Michael Pridemore said the results from USF were back and police secured a warrant to go back to the house and recover Prince.

Agency spokesman Michael Dunn said Monday he couldn't comment on whether investigators had located any evidence of the missing Temple Terrace woman under the Vasconia Street house.

On Saturday, Pridemore was seen leaving the house with a small bag and a metal cannister with an orange biohazard sticker on it. The agency would not comment on what, if any significance, the can might have.

- Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer