Bones found in Avalon identified as Trib employee

Human bones found on an Ohio River bank in Avalon belong to Daniel Niehaus, a Trib Total Media employee from Penn Hills who disappeared in May 2013, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said Saturday.

A West View Water Authority employee found the bones on April 15, 2014.

Investigators sent DNA from the bones to a lab in Texas, which matched the sample to one Niehaus' family provided, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.

The lab confirmed the match Friday. The cause of death remains undetermined, the Medical Examiner's Office said.

Penn Hills police are investigating the case. Chief Howard Burton said they have no leads and have received no calls or tips. Trib Total Media is offering a $10,000 reward for information about what happened to Niehaus.

“We're not really sure what happened with Mr. Niehaus,” Burton said.

Niehaus was 59 when he disappeared around Memorial Day in 2013. He had worked as an inserter in Trib Total Media's West Deer facility since November 2005.

Niehaus called off sick a couple of days before Memorial Day weekend, then returned to work for one day before calling off sick again on May 28, 2013, said Jennifer Bertetto, Trib Total Media president and CEO.

Investigators notified his sister, Donna Milliken of Wheeling, W.Va., of the DNA match, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. Niehaus was originally from Wheeling. Milliken could not be reached.

Katelyn Ferral is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-5627 or kferral@tribweb.com.