A New York state school district employee has been arrested and charged for killing her older sister, whose body was pulled from a river after a three-day search.
Jamie Busch, a 53-year-old middle school paraprofessional from Honeoye Falls, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on Friday of her 62-year-old sister, Penny Busch, a mother of two who had been missing for 12 days.
Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter announced the arrest during a news conference, confirming that Jamie Busch was taken into custody following the discovery of Penny’s body in the Genesee River in Rush on Wednesday.
The arrest occurred a week after a welfare check was initiated for Penny Busch, who had not been seen since Oct. 6, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Baxter said deputies conducted a welfare check on Penny Busch on Oct. 11 but found she was not at home. They noticed “a few things that were odd, out of the ordinary,” and brought in the criminal investigation unit. The situation soon escalated into a manhunt.
Baxter commended his “sharp deputies who determined this was more than just a check the welfare with an adult not home.”
They deployed K9 units and drones to search Penny’s home and eight-acre property. On Wednesday, the rescue team recovered her body from the Genesee River. Her identity was confirmed by the Monroe County medical examiner on Friday.
Jamie Bush was charged with three felonies—one count of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence, deputies said. She was arraigned in Mendon Town Court on Friday and was remanded to the Monroe County Jail without bail.
Baxter declined to reveal the cause of death and motive, saying, “Those are something we are going to keep close to our chest,” but added, “We believe this is an isolated incident between family members.”
Court documents obtained by 13-WHAM allege that Jamie Busch strangled her sister Penny before dumping her body in the river and discarding her phones in a Dunkin’ Donuts dumpster.
Jamie Busch had been placed on leave from her role in the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District, according to a statement from the district.
Superintendent Gene Mancuso expressed the community’s shock and sadness over the situation, saying, “We recognize the emotional toll this news may have, and counseling services are available for anyone in our school community who needs support,”
Mancuso also emphasized the district’s commitment to safety, saying, “Although we have never encountered a situation like this, we are confident that, as a community, we will come together, support one another, and get through this difficult time.”
He reassured the community that the safety and well-being of students and staff remain the district’s top priority.
Penny Busch, originally from Schenectady, spent some time living in Texas before relocating to Monroe County about a year ago, according to the sheriff’s office. She was a mother of two, and had two sisters.