Police hope to crack West Philadelphia cold case

WEST PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - K-9 search teams brought in from New Jersey helped a team of East Lansdowne and Philadelphia police investigators attempt to close up a cold case in West Philadelphia.

Jeffrey Toney watched as teams searched for any sign of his missing nephew, 20-year-old William Toney, who last seen since before Thanksgiving 2016.

"He's a good kid--running around with the wrong crowd--doing what kids do," he told FOX 29.

Family members and East Lansdowne police believe that wrong crowd amounted to friends William Toney would visit near Ludlow and Ranstead Streets in West Philly.

Police say Toney's cell phone was last pinged to an abandoned house on at 5114 Ranstead.

While the K-9's did not make a major discovery, East Lansdowne Sgt James Cadden says he got word from Philly paramedics that skeletal remains of someone got removed from the abandoned house about 3 months ago.

Until word comes through, either way, family members keep watching carefully while calling upon their faith to get them through.