Post by LadyBlue on May 8, 2004 20:59:38 GMT -5
Human remains discovered
By Krystal J. Carman
BDN Staff Writer
The Taney County Sheriff's Department was checking dental records Friday before conducting DNA tests on skeletal remains found hidden near Bradleyville on Thursday.
According to Sheriff Jimmie Russell, just before 11 a.m. Thursday, his department received information as to where a body was located in the Mark Twain National Forest, one mile west of Bradleyville. Russell said when he and Chief Deputy Jeff Anderson arrived at the "crime scene," skeletal remains were found and deputies investigated the scene and removed the bones.
Apparently, there was an obvious attempt to conceal the remains, Russell said, but he would not elaborate on how the bones were concealed. Russell would not comment on how his department received the information.
There are several missing persons reported, from Taney County and surrounding counties, including Rebecca Sutton from Hollister, Freda Heyn from Oldfield and two juveniles and one adult from Stone County.
Russell said his department will check dental records for Sutton and Heyn before DNA testing will be conducted.
www.bransondailynews.com/
Bradleyville — The old logging road past the site where a skeleton was found Thursday is one of the few unpaved roads left in Taney County.
Although it's rocky, rutted and nearly impassable for the average vehicle, the road through the Mark Twain National Forest is commonly used by deer hunters, four-wheelers and people seeking a secluded place to drink a few beers, said Lonnie Combs.
Whoever tried to conceal a body near an unnamed creek was "either not real smart or in a real big hurry," said Combs, who was born in Bradleyville and owns Southern Construction Co.
"A lot of acres haven't been walked over for 10 years, and I would say there could be several people buried in these woods that will never be found," Combs said.
The spot where the remains were found is about ? of a mile north of Missouri 76. The road continues another eight miles north, connecting to Missouri 125. Along the route, there are places a body might never be discovered, Combs said. The woods also hide the remnants of a fort used during the Civil War, he added.
Taney County Sheriff Jimmie Russell released no new information Friday, saying he wanted to be certain of the facts before issuing further statements. Officials from the sheriff's department returned to the site Friday for further investigation.
Russell said he and Chief Deputy Jeff Anderson found the remains at 10:45 a.m. Thursday. The sheriff's not saying how he was tipped to the skeleton's location. He said he is investigating it as a homicide because the skeleton was hidden, but he wouldn't say how it had been concealed.
The skeleton was found near a 2-foot-deep rock overhang beside the creek. The area is strewn with rocks, fallen limbs and leaves. During heavy rains, the creek rises, rushing into Beaver Creek about ? mile downstream.
Predators also populate the woods, including fox, coyotes, skunks and possums, Combs said.
No identifying clothing or personal belongings were found at the scene, Russell said.
Russell said it was a complete, bare-bones skeleton. The first priority is checking dental records, he said.
If there are no matches, the skeleton might be sent for DNA testing, Russell said.
Russell also declined to speculate on the gender of the skeleton.
In December 1998 — before Russell became sheriff — bones discovered near Merriam Woods were initially identified as female. It was later determined the remains were those of 19-year-old Wesley Workman, a 5-foot-5, 100-pound man who had been reported missing in the spring 1997.
In 2001, Joe Wilson was sentenced to life in prison for shooting Workman.
Authorities continue to investigate the disappearances of two area women.
In Hollister, 19-year-old Rebecca Sutton was last seen in late March. Russell contacted the police department and requested information about Sutton, said detective Preston Schmidt.
Schmidt declined to say what was requested. He did say the department gets calls every week about Sutton's disappearance, but no leads have yet yielded results.
In Oldfield, the search continues for 68-year-old Freda Heyn, who was last seen Nov. 3 at the community's post office.
Capt. Kevin Turpin of the Christian County Sheriff's Department said he contacted the Missouri Highway Patrol, which also is investigating the skeleton found Thursday.
"At this point, it doesn't really sound like this is connected with our investigation," Turpin said.
"We've had leads, but none of them have really led us in a direction we feel might end up solving the mystery of where she went."
The time frame to reduce a body to bones varies depending on conditions, including temperature and humidity, said Paul Spence, Greene County medical examiner. Hair decomposes more slowly.
"I've heard of cases in Arizona where a person was nearly skeletonized in about two weeks," Spence said. "In the Ozarks, probably several weeks to several months."
Contact Kathryn Buckstaff at kbuckstaff@springfi.gannett.com.
www.news-leader.com/today/0228-Bodyhidden-25915.html
By Krystal J. Carman
BDN Staff Writer
The Taney County Sheriff's Department was checking dental records Friday before conducting DNA tests on skeletal remains found hidden near Bradleyville on Thursday.
According to Sheriff Jimmie Russell, just before 11 a.m. Thursday, his department received information as to where a body was located in the Mark Twain National Forest, one mile west of Bradleyville. Russell said when he and Chief Deputy Jeff Anderson arrived at the "crime scene," skeletal remains were found and deputies investigated the scene and removed the bones.
Apparently, there was an obvious attempt to conceal the remains, Russell said, but he would not elaborate on how the bones were concealed. Russell would not comment on how his department received the information.
There are several missing persons reported, from Taney County and surrounding counties, including Rebecca Sutton from Hollister, Freda Heyn from Oldfield and two juveniles and one adult from Stone County.
Russell said his department will check dental records for Sutton and Heyn before DNA testing will be conducted.
www.bransondailynews.com/
Bradleyville — The old logging road past the site where a skeleton was found Thursday is one of the few unpaved roads left in Taney County.
Although it's rocky, rutted and nearly impassable for the average vehicle, the road through the Mark Twain National Forest is commonly used by deer hunters, four-wheelers and people seeking a secluded place to drink a few beers, said Lonnie Combs.
Whoever tried to conceal a body near an unnamed creek was "either not real smart or in a real big hurry," said Combs, who was born in Bradleyville and owns Southern Construction Co.
"A lot of acres haven't been walked over for 10 years, and I would say there could be several people buried in these woods that will never be found," Combs said.
The spot where the remains were found is about ? of a mile north of Missouri 76. The road continues another eight miles north, connecting to Missouri 125. Along the route, there are places a body might never be discovered, Combs said. The woods also hide the remnants of a fort used during the Civil War, he added.
Taney County Sheriff Jimmie Russell released no new information Friday, saying he wanted to be certain of the facts before issuing further statements. Officials from the sheriff's department returned to the site Friday for further investigation.
Russell said he and Chief Deputy Jeff Anderson found the remains at 10:45 a.m. Thursday. The sheriff's not saying how he was tipped to the skeleton's location. He said he is investigating it as a homicide because the skeleton was hidden, but he wouldn't say how it had been concealed.
The skeleton was found near a 2-foot-deep rock overhang beside the creek. The area is strewn with rocks, fallen limbs and leaves. During heavy rains, the creek rises, rushing into Beaver Creek about ? mile downstream.
Predators also populate the woods, including fox, coyotes, skunks and possums, Combs said.
No identifying clothing or personal belongings were found at the scene, Russell said.
Russell said it was a complete, bare-bones skeleton. The first priority is checking dental records, he said.
If there are no matches, the skeleton might be sent for DNA testing, Russell said.
Russell also declined to speculate on the gender of the skeleton.
In December 1998 — before Russell became sheriff — bones discovered near Merriam Woods were initially identified as female. It was later determined the remains were those of 19-year-old Wesley Workman, a 5-foot-5, 100-pound man who had been reported missing in the spring 1997.
In 2001, Joe Wilson was sentenced to life in prison for shooting Workman.
Authorities continue to investigate the disappearances of two area women.
In Hollister, 19-year-old Rebecca Sutton was last seen in late March. Russell contacted the police department and requested information about Sutton, said detective Preston Schmidt.
Schmidt declined to say what was requested. He did say the department gets calls every week about Sutton's disappearance, but no leads have yet yielded results.
In Oldfield, the search continues for 68-year-old Freda Heyn, who was last seen Nov. 3 at the community's post office.
Capt. Kevin Turpin of the Christian County Sheriff's Department said he contacted the Missouri Highway Patrol, which also is investigating the skeleton found Thursday.
"At this point, it doesn't really sound like this is connected with our investigation," Turpin said.
"We've had leads, but none of them have really led us in a direction we feel might end up solving the mystery of where she went."
The time frame to reduce a body to bones varies depending on conditions, including temperature and humidity, said Paul Spence, Greene County medical examiner. Hair decomposes more slowly.
"I've heard of cases in Arizona where a person was nearly skeletonized in about two weeks," Spence said. "In the Ozarks, probably several weeks to several months."
Contact Kathryn Buckstaff at kbuckstaff@springfi.gannett.com.
www.news-leader.com/today/0228-Bodyhidden-25915.html