Family seeks answers on anniv. of death

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Exactly four years ago, the body of Amanda Wienckowski was discovered, dumped in a Buffalo garbage tote. In that time, her family has been desperately seeking answers.

Wednesday night, that journey will lead them to the steps of Buffalo City Hall. Wienckowski’s naked body was discovered in a garbage tote behind a church in Buffalo, back in January, 2009.

An autopsy conducted by  Erie County Medical Examiner Dianne Vertes concluded Wienckowski’s cause of death to be accidental drug overdose. Wienckowski’s family then hired a California pathologist, Dr. Silvia  Comparini, who did a second autopsy, this time ruling it a homicide, likely by strangulation.

A third post mortem ruled Wienckowski’s cause of death “undetermined” and refuted the strangulation theory.

Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said, “There's no pictures to show the basis of that. There's five other physicians who have looked at this case that did not find any evidence of strangulation.”

Amanda’s family refuses to believe this and wants the police to investigate. But, without an amended death certificate or other compelling evidence, police cannot investigate the Wienckowski case as a homicide.

Last January, Amanda’s sister in law Nicole Dolly said, “We've got[ten] a lot farther, but we still want answers. We still want things... We want peace, like everybody else does. And I think we deserve it. And Amanda deserves it, very much. And we'll keep going until the end.”

Amanda’s family, the family attorney and community leaders are expected to be outside of City Hall Wednesday night for a vigil.