The investigation into the murder of a College Township couple is beginning to focus on the forensics tests of evidence recovered at the crime scene, the State College Police Department said.
According to search warrants, items collected from the home include an aluminum baseball bat, medical records and numerous empty beer bottles. The recovered items will now be tested as possible evidence in the murders of William and Georgeann Opdenhoff.
Despite the recovery of a large number of items from the secluded home, State College Police Department Lt. Diane Conrad said police are not sure if the items collected will be used as evidence.
"When or if we arrest someone, that's when we would say what evidence we are using," she said.
The couple's son, Daniel Opdenhoff, remains in a New York psychiatric facility pending extradition proceedings to Centre County. The 24-year-old was arrested in New York City on Oct. 25 for the unauthorized use of his parents' ATM card.
The diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic has not been named a suspect in the case, but police have wanted to talk to the State College Area High School graduate to determine exactly what occurred in the home on the night the couple was killed, police said.
William and Georgeann Opdenhoff, who both worked in the State College Area School District, were found dead in their 319 Hill Drive home during the early morning hours of Oct. 21 after a family member was unable to contact the couple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found a side door open and lights on inside the house. Upon entering, police found the couple dead in the living room with pillows covering their faces.
Autopsy reports revealed the couple died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head between 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. Oct. 19.
Police also said in a search warrant they are attempting to determine the activities of all of the individuals at the time of the murders and their presence in the home.
Daniel Opdenhoff, who lived in the west wing of the split-level house, was unable to be located following the murders. Police located Daniel Opdenhoff by tracking bank transactions on his parents' ATM card, which totaled at least $700.
