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[3799]

By Melissa Klaric | Herald Staff Writer | Posted 18 hours ago

Police issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a former Hermitage woman for the 2013 slaying of Greenville-area businessman Frank Crash.


Tracy Linn Hassel, 33, formerly of Hermitage, was charged with second- and third-degree murder, robbery, burglary and theft. If convicted, she could be sent to prison for life for the second-degree murder charge plus a maximum of 87 years for the other charges.

Police said Hassel broke into Crashs home, stabbed him 76 times in the head, face, neck, chest and shoulders, and cut his neck. Police traced various pieces of evidence at the crime scene back to Hassel, according to reports. A state police crime lab report was received Oct. 30.

Hassel was imprisoned in the State Correctional Facility for Women at Muncy in February for 7 1/2 to 21 years after admitting her role in 18 drug-related burglaries and robberies in 2011 and August to September 2013.

A male person of interest is still being sought and investigators are hoping that Hassels arrest will produce further information on that man, Mercer County District Attorney Robert G. Kochems said during a news conference Thursday morning.

According to police reports:

Crash was found by his daughter, Pamela Higbee, and her husband, Mike, on the morning of July 25, 2013, in a pool of blood in the dining room of his home at 362 Mercer Road, Hempfield Township.

Crash was missing a diamond ring and his pockets, pulled inside out, were empty. Crash, who owned Crash Auto Wreckings two locations in the Greenville area, was known to carry a wad of cash and cards in his front pockets.

Police noticed blood around the walls and furniture, as well as the bed and sliding glass doors, which Hassel allegedly pried open to enter the home.

State police were able to track Hassels movements by following her footprints around the house in the blood on the floor.

Investigation highlights:

October 2013: Crashs drivers license is found along state Route 18 in Pymatuning Township and a police search yields several of his insurance, business and social club cards.

January 2014: Investigators receive information that Hassel was involved in the murder and that her boyfriend, Steven Mortland, in prison for burglaries he committed with Hassel, had information. Investigators confirmed that Mortland was in Allegheny County Jail at the time of the murder.

Hassel sent police a letter stating that she had information on a crime in the area. Police collected her DNA after an interview when she denied knowing anything about the Crash murder.

March 2014: Hassel tells police she met Crash through a friend of hers who dated him. She said her friend bragged that she always stole money from Crash and told her how she did it and where he kept his money. Hassel said she picked up her friend at Crashs house several times. Investigators later verified the story with Hassels friend.

May 2014: The state crime lab reports that DNA found on a cigarette at the scene belonged to Hassel and Crash.

Hassel tells police she had known Crash since sometime in 2011, and that she had a sexual relationship with him.

Mortland tells police that Hassel and another man were involved in the homicide. He says Hassel told him she stabbed Crash.

He says he and Hassel threw out a bag of clothing she wore when she stabbed Crash somewhere in Pittsburgh. She also told him she threw Crashs cards and diamond ring on state Route 18 near the causeway over Shenango River Lake.

Mortland takes police to the spot and found inside the bag were womens clothing, gloves, a black wig and a womans gray and pink shoe. The pattern on the shoe matched the shoe prints at the crime scene. Hassel is seen on video at 10:06 a.m. in the Hermitage Wal-Mart wearing a similar shoe.

Hassel was referred to as one of the biggest serial burglars in Mercer County history during her sentencing in February by Mercer County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Thomas R. Dobson.

Hassel and Mortland were arrested in September 2013 after police caught them just after leaving a house they burglarized in Shenango Township.

Mortland was sentenced to 6 years for his role in the 2013 burglaries he committed with Hassel.

Hassel has a lengthy addiction to heroin and has admitted to police stealing items and selling or trading items for drugs or money.

A video arraignment is set for Monday for Hassel before District Judge Brian Arthur, Greenville, at which time a preliminary hearing date will be set.

Kochems expects Hassels trial to begin in May at the earliest. Most likely, he said, it will start next June.

Kochems thanked Hempfield police Chief David Morgan and lead investigator Dan McCloskey; state police criminal investigator Chris Birckbichler; and detectives from his office.

[The Legend]

She's one smoking hot little Huss too !! Lol

[MR. Know-it-all]

Legend why do you have to be a total ass on everything posted on here? Frank and his brother had one of the best sprint cars every to run in this area. Now they think they know who is responsible for his death and you make the comment about how hot she is. just shows what kind of person you really are! 

[The Legend]

Its horrific what this vile pig did to the old man. Clearly she's a savage beast that deserves a brutal painful death. I was just pointing out that on top of all of that she's as ugly as Michelle Obama