A 76ers player hosting a small gathering at his Penn Valley home was one of the last people to see a Chester County mother before she vanished more than 10 weeks ago.
Lower Merion Township police say Sixers guard Willie Green had nothing to do with the disappearance of 29-year-old Toni Lee Sharpless. Police have confirmed her presence at his house, though they did not publicly release the connection earlier.
Green asked her and a friend to leave his residence about 5 a.m. Aug. 23 after a "verbal dispute," police said.
Since then, her car - a black 2002 four-door Pontiac Grand Prix with Pennsylvania tag number DND-7772 - has not been found.
Her cell phone has not been used since she texted her 12-year-old daughter, urging her to get a good night's sleep, a few hours before leaving Green's.
Her credit cards? No activity.
"It's hard to fathom the fact that nothing has turned up," said Lower Merion Police Lt. Frank Higgins, a lead investigator.
So far, the probe has produced little more than publicity, frustration, and ever-growing fears.
"It's a horrible story, and there's nothing jumping out," Higgins said, adding that he wished he had news for Sharpless' parents. "I'd hate to be in their shoes. I can't imagine what it would be like."
Donna and Peter Knebel, who lived with their daughter and granddaughter in West Brandywine Township, said they never could have imagined being in such pain.
"What does my gut say? Something bad happened," said Donna Knebel, who works in court administration at the Chester County Justice Center.
Her husband, who works in the county contracts and purchasing department, agreed: "I've said from the very beginning there's foul play here. Something went very wrong."
The Knebels last saw their daughter when she returned from a shopping excursion and asked if they would watch their granddaughter so she could go out with a friend, Crystal Johns.
They planned to go to the Ice nightclub in King of Prussia, then to G Lounge near Rittenhouse Square, where they would meet up with a pro athlete because Johns had dated his brother, the Knebels said.
Her daughter also indicated she'd spend the night at Johns' house in Coatesville.
That never happened.
Higgins said that after Johns and Sharpless left Green's home, they got into Sharpless' car but argued about whether she was OK to drive. Sharpless asked Johns to get out of the car, which she did, Higgins said.
The Knebels said they were troubled that they had learned from the media - not police - that the home belonged to Green.
Higgins said he saw no need to sensationalize the case.
"The real issue is what happened after they left. That's what we're interested in," he said. "The Willie Green angle is a dead end for us."
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