Police find human remains in search for possible mob murder victims

BOSTON - Police combed through the sand of a city beach for a second day Thursday after finding human bones in a suspected mob burial site.

The remains of one person were found in the course of a federal investigation into a gang once headed by fugitive James ''Whitey'' Bulger and Stephen ''The Rifleman'' Flemmi.

Bulger has been a fugitive since 1995 and Flemmi has been in prison awaiting trial on a number of charges.

Boston newspapers, citing anonymous sources, said police were searching for one or more victims of the gang after being tipped off by a former Bulger lieutenant turned government informant.

The informant, Kevin Weeks, led police earlier this year to three bodies he said belonged to victims of the gang.

He admitted his involvement in those killings, as well as in two others he said were committed in the 1980s, and was expected to seek a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.

Relatives and friends of a woman who disappeared in 1981 and was presumed to have been killed by the mob waited at the beach for police to identify the remains.

Victor Davis, 35, a brother of the woman, Debra Davis, said that Sunday would be the 19th anniversary of her disappearance.

He said police had confirmed that they were looking for his sister.

''We are hoping that we can put an end to this and this (turns out to be) my sister,'' he said.

Michael Natola, an attorney who is defending Flemmi in one case, has said previously he expects new charges to be filed at some point against his client.

On Thursday, he said, ''I have no information other than what I've read in the papers and that is not enough for me to comment on. ... I've just got to wait and see what unfolds here.''

Weeks' attorney, Dennis Kelly, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.