TX - Jonathan Kinnan, 26, special needs, found buried in backyard after welfare check, Burleson, 2025 Oct 14

[ralyla]

This is local to me. Very sad.

Jonathan Kinnan, 26, has been described as "special needs" and lived with his mother, December Marie Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan James Mitchell. An unknown person called in a welfare check on Jonathan on October 14th. When Burleson officers arrived, they gathered information indicating he may be buried in the backyard. Police arrested both his mother and stepfather and charged them with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse. The Texas Rangers and Burleson Police searched the backyard the next day and found Kinnan in a shallow grave. His COD is pending.

North Texas couple accused of burying son with special needs in Burleson backyard, police say

Police said there was a shallow grave in the backyard of the home

www.cbsnews.com

Burleson Police Department Texas

Active Investigation The Burleson Police Department is sharing the following information regarding an active investigation currently underway. We understand that many members of our community have...

www.facebook.com

 

[Gemmie]

This is local to me. Very sad.

Jonathan Kinnan, 26, has been described as "special needs" and lived with his mother, December Marie Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan James Mitchell. An unknown person called in a welfare check on Jonathan on October 14th. When Burleson officers arrived, they gathered information indicating he may be buried in the backyard. Police arrested both his mother and stepfather and charged them with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse. The Texas Rangers and Burleson Police searched the backyard the next day and found Kinnan in a shallow grave. His COD is pending.

North Texas couple accused of burying son with special needs in Burleson backyard, police say

Police said there was a shallow grave in the backyard of the home

www.cbsnews.com

Burleson Police Department Texas

Active Investigation The Burleson Police Department is sharing the following information regarding an active investigation currently underway. We understand that many members of our community have...

www.facebook.com

Since I had never heard of the term "with intent to impair a human corpse" I looked it up. Posting here in the event others aren't familiar with it either.

"Intent to impair" means having a specific, deliberate purpose to make something (like evidence) less reliable, useful, or available. This is a key element in criminal charges like tampering with evidence, where a person intentionally alters, destroys, or conceals a document or object to hinder an investigation or legal proceeding.

SOURCE

 

[ralyla]

A new article includes pictures of the backyard:

Mother, stepfather arrested after Burleson police found their 26-year-old son buried on their property

After conducting a welfare check at a Burleson home, police found the body of a 26-year-old man with special needs buried in his backyard.

www.wfaa.com

 

[Clearsky]

Active Investigation

www.burlesontx.com

On Tuesday, October 14, officers responded to a welfare check at 433 White Oak Lane for 26-year-old Jonathan Kinman. Kinman, who had special needs, lived at the residence with his mother, December Marie Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan James Mitchell.