Police Find No Evidence After Digging at Former Residence of Suspected Serial Killer Richard Fox

A detailed search of the backyard at a Niagara Falls property once occupied by murder suspect Richard J. Fox turned up no evidence on Wednesday despite hours of digging by investigators.

Officers from the Niagara Falls Police Criminal Investigation Division arrived at the Orleans Avenue home around midday and worked at the site until late afternoon. Residents in the area reported that detectives focused on a small portion of land behind the house where they dug approximately three feet deep and carefully sifted through the soil in search of potential evidence.

According to police, the excavation was prompted by a previous scan of the property that detected a possible irregularity beneath the ground.

“We used ground-penetrating equipment a few weeks ago and noticed something unusual about five feet below the surface,” authorities said in a written statement. “To be thorough, our team returned to investigate further. After several hours of digging, nothing of evidentiary value was recovered. The area has since been filled back in.”

This property has remained under scrutiny since human remains were discovered hidden behind a wall beneath a basement staircase in March 2025. That discovery intensified focus on Fox, a former handyman and tenant at the residence.

Fox, 62, is already facing serious charges in connection with two separate homicide cases in Erie County. He was arrested earlier this year on unrelated charges and subsequently was charged with the murders of two Buffalo women: Marquita Mull, whose remains were located in Chautauqua County in 2021, and Cassandra Watson, last seen in Buffalo in the early 2000s.

The horrifying find on Orleans Avenue occurred during a joint search operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Inside the residence, investigators uncovered skeletal remains enclosed in drywall beneath the stairs. While the victim’s identity has not yet been confirmed, forensic specialists are analyzing DNA samples to determine whether the remains match any known missing persons cases.

Fox, who was apprehended on January 7th by Niagara Falls Police and the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, initially faced charges related to failing to register as a sex offender. He has since been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and remains in custody without bail at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden.

The murder investigation widened in early April when police executed additional search warrants at various properties across Niagara Falls. One key piece of evidence - a white utility van parked behind a residence on Pierce Avenue - was towed from the scene. The van is believed to be connected to Fox and is undergoing a forensic examination.

Although Fox maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all charges, authorities believe he may be tied to several other unsolved homicide and/or missing persons cases. His history includes time living in Chautauqua County, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, all areas now central to the ongoing investigation.

Police Find No Evidence After Digging at Former Residence of Suspected Serial Killer Richard Fox