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Police Begin Digging For Girl's Remains Along 101 Highway In Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA (AP) — Santa Barbara authorities say they are going to start excavating a site along U.S. Highway 101 in the search for the remains of a 7-year-old girl who vanished nearly 50 years ago.

Police Lt. Paul McCaffrey said Tuesday that the digging will begin later in the day at a location where search dogs found an area of interest.

Ramona Price disappeared on Sept. 2, 1961, and police now suspect she was another victim of serial killer Mack Ray Edwards, who confessed to killing more than 20 children before he committed suicide on death row in San Quentin in 1971. Edwards was a heavy equipment operator who worked on freeway construction at the site along U.S. 101.

Authorities expect the excavation to take several days.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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