That Mercedes buried at a mansion? No human remains, but an interesting tale

The mystery surrounding the burial of a stolen Mercedes-Benz next to a California mansion deepened this week when it was learned that the man who built the house had an interesting criminal history — serving time on murder and attempted murder convictions.

Meanwhile, police in Atherton, Calif., said that no human remains or any suspicious evidence was found in the white Mercedes convertible after it was excavated this past weekend from a yard and transported to the San Mateo County Crime Lab for inspection.

Last Thursday, landscapers discovered the car buried about five feet underground and loaded with bags of concrete. Police believe the car was buried at around the same time it was reported stolen in Palo Alto in September 1992.

The mansion, valued at $15 million, was built by Johnny Lew, a man with a history of arrests for murder, attempted murder and insurance fraud, his daughter, Jacq Searle, told the San Francisco Chronicle.