May 25, 2019
Nearly seven months later, authorities are still awaiting results for the identity of human remains found in October in Pettis County.
The remains were found Saturday, Oct. 27 by a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in a densely wooded area near the Eagle Brook Farm subdivision.
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On Friday, Smith said it appears the man died of natural causes and Bond said no evidence has been found to suggest any foul play.
Smith and the sheriff’s office gathered records from area missing person cases to help give authorities a better grasp on who the remains may belong to. After the Boone County office, the remains were sent to a forensic anthropologist at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Smith said his office just received the remains a few weeks ago and he is still waiting for the anthropologist’s report.
“They don’t do any DNA testing, they look for fractures, bullet wounds, anything that might be construed as a bullet injury, all of that,” Smith explained. “They also extracted DNA from the bones, obtained our samples for us so we could have something to send.”
Bond said the Missouri State Highway Patrol lab where Pettis County sends its forensic evidence also does not conduct the type of DNA testing needed for these remains. MSHP referred Bond and Smith to a private facility in Texas and
Smith is preparing to send the remains soon.
Smith said he hopes to have final results in the next month.
Smith did say a fractured vertebra was found, but due to the age of the remains, there was no way to determine if the fracture happened before or after death.
Investigation continues into found remains
BBM.