Mom of girl held captive for 10 years sues McKeesport

The mother of a McKeesport runaway held in captivity for 10 years filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the city of McKeesport and two officers for negligence.

Sherri Koehnke, the mother of Tanya Kach, claims in the suit that former McKeesport police Chief Tom Carter and officer Michael Elias were negligent in the investigation of her daughter's disappearance. Kach was held for a decade in the home of Thomas Hose.

The lawsuit claims that police ignored tips and failed to execute a search warrant on Hose's home. Hose is serving 5 to 15 years in state prison for pleading guilty to 10 charges relating to Kach's disappearance. Kach resurfaced in March 2006 when she shared her story with a McKeesport deli owner who called police.