Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-19
New Leads Found
In Staying Of Boy
Hunt Focused
On Apartment
House Section


Investigators working day
and night reported some prog
ress today in their search for
the brutal sex slayer of 7-year-
old Michael Condetti.
Attention was focused on the
area of the apartment house,
near Michael's Northeast
Washington home. where the
boy was seen playing Monday
afternoon, the day he disap-
peared.
I'VE have some leads which
we feel are productive in that
area" one investigator said.
In another development,
Montgomery County police
stopped a car containing four
men just south of GaitherSburg
today, and took all four to
Rockville headquarters for ques-
tioning by the FBI.
This was part of the massive
investigation of all persons
known to be sex deviates. Three
of the men in the car were
hitch-hikers, investigators said.
Another man was brought
to Washington police head
quarters for questioning around
3 am. He was still in the
homicide squad room nine
hours later, but detectives
refused to make any comment
about him.
Seen i'm Railways
Michael left his home at 2415
Fourteenth street NE. at $3.50
pm. Monday, saying he was
going to a nearby variety store.
Residents of the area saw him
an hour later playing in the
elevator and Railways of an
apartment house at 2504 Tenth
street NE.
So far, investigators have
found no one who saw the
child again until his nearly
nude body was found Thurs
day afternoon in woods at
Ardmore. Md. in Prince
Georges County. some 800
yards from the George Palmer
highway.
An autopsy made it plain he
was the victim of a sex per-
vert. There was dirt in his
mouth and throat, and bruises
around his neck. He had died
of suffocation 48 to 70 hours
before his body was found at
3 pm.
Intensive efforts to trap the
killer were underway In three
areas.
At Washington police head
quarters, sex squad detectives
were methodically examining
the records of some 5000 per-
sons whose names appear in
their files. Particular attention
was being paid to about half
of those, where the offense in
volved children.
When a possible suspect was
/ found, the name was passed
on to the homicide squad for
further investigation.
In the Brookland area where
Michael lived and attended st.
Anthony's school, weary detec-
tives-many Of them working
overtime-continued to knock
on doors, searching for some
one who might shed some light
on the mystery.
And in Prince Georges County,
at least a dozen detectives were
searching the files and inter-
viewing citizens.
| Agents of the FBI, which is
not yet officially involved in the
case, were busy yesterday exam
lining the death scene.
Tire Tracks Found
Plaster casts were made of
tire tracks found in the area.
Soil samples were gathered for
laboratory examination. Labor
ers working on nearby building
projects were questioned.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Francis
Murphy of st. Anthony's. said
Michael's parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
A. J. Condetti, were taking
their loss with marvellous
Christian spirit"
Neighbors were caring for
their other three children.
A funeral mass for Michael
will be said at $50 am. Mon
day, with burial in Arlington
Cemetery at II am.
! Two citizens so far have Of
fered a total of 5000 in rewards
for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of Mich