Local and federal law enforcement agencies continued their search of an 8-acre property east of Punta Gorda, in the unincorporated community of Cleveland, after receiving a tip in the cold case.

Forensic teams excavated buckets of soil from the backyard of a home at 5052 Duncan Road, where the grandmother of one of the primary suspects still lives. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron said the search could take days, as teams must remove sand samples by layers. Officials believe Pilar's body could be buried on the property.

"It's no different than excavating an archaeological site," Cameron said. "You have to be very careful."

Authorities began the search Tuesday, using dogs trained to find cadavers and a Colorado-based nonprofit that specializes in locating hidden graves.

Sheriff's officials are not disclosing details about the tip that led to the Duncan Road address, although Cameron said it is the strongest lead in the case in years.

Pilar disappeared in January 1999 while on a trip with her baby sitter, Melissa Cooper, who had left Hollywood, Fla., to live with her truck driver boyfriend in Punta Gorda.

When the two did not return after several weeks, Marco reported his daughter missing.

Cooper and her boyfriend, Keith Wilson, came under scrutiny from investigators when friends and relatives characterized Cooper, now 33, as desperate for a family and Wilson, now 38, as abusive toward Pilar.

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