TITUSVILLE, Fla.,None — On Thursday, the search intensified for the remains of Tisa Gantt, who disappeared in Brevard County nearly four years ago.
The Titusville woman was reported missing by her family in January 2007. She vanished after filing a sexual assault charge against a local man.
Investigators brought heavy equipment to dig deeper into a Titusville backyard, based on a tip that police have said little about.
This dig marks the fourth time that police have returned to the home on Gilbert Street in Titusville, looking for new clues into the disappearance of Gantt.
The new tip was received a week ago, signaling that there could be some sort of evidence at the site -- either the remains of Gantt or evidence of Gantt's whereabouts.
Police have turned up the dirt in the backyard two times in the past week. Last week, police used just shovels. But this time, they brought in heavy equipment to dig deeper.
Police have moved the dig site several times, first inside the backyard, then into an area right along the property line.
Johnny Dublin joined about two dozen people from the surrounding neighborhood watching the police work.
"I hope she ain’t dead. I hope she's just missing," Dublin said.
Dublin, whose wife, Wenda Wright, was murdered and buried in a shallow grave, said he still hopes that police somehow manage to find Gantt alive somewhere.
"I hope she's not buried back there. But if she is, only God knows... only God knows what happened to that child."
Police said Wright's murder is not connected to Gantt. Her murderer is behind bars.