Remains Found in Area After LE/SAR Searches

YaYa_521

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@bombardier compiled an excellent starter list of MP cases that ended with the person's remains found in/near a location that had already been searched (some multiple times) by LE/SAR. Other WS members added a few cases to the list as well. I and others thought it would be useful to start a thread in order to track these types of cases as case study analyses could prove useful in future cases. Please feel free to add summaries of similar cases of which you are aware. MOO

Great post and thanks again, @bombardier!
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TX - TX - Jason Landry, 21, enroute from TSU to home, car found crashed at Luling, 14 Dec 2020 #5

I was interested into what other examples I could come up with (other than Richard and Barbara who come to my mind first) of people who were later found in an area that received an adequate search, in order to learn from these cases and apply them to Jason's case.
Here are a few examples; please let me know if you know of any more!

Richard Morris - search included police officers, volunteers, Hampshire S&R, police dogs, search of the river, CCTV searches, and drone searches. Nearly 4 months later, he was found in his usual running spot, Alice Holt Forest, which is just over 2000 acres (8+ square kilometers).
Barbara Thomas - I'm sure most of us remember her disappearance. The search was extensive and involved SARs, canines, helicopters, park rangers, and vehicles. Year and a half later, she was found in roughly the same area (I don't think exact parameters have ever been released).
Matthew Lang - went missing after a one-car accident. Jackson County SAR had 'scoured' the area for 3 weeks until they finally found his body in the lake, several hundred yards away from the site. It was suggested that they found him once putrefaction released enough gases to allow him to float, but it is still strange that they missed him initially as I'm sure him being in the lake was a possibility which was investigated.
Adre'Anna Jackson - was murdered/abducted when walking to school, 500 people were searching within the first day. 4 months later, her skeleton was found in an empty lot that was overrun with brambles. The lot was under 2 miles from her house, and about a mile away from the school she was trying to reach. We DO have answers of how she was missed - the police admitted they didn't search there because they would have had to cut through the brambles o_O. She could have been placed there later but we will never know for sure, because it wasn't searched. This is a good example of why SAR should search EVERYWHERE within a search parameter, despite how unlikely it is that the person would be there.
Lynn Messer - went missing from her rural farm property. The search was extensive, involving dogs, and covered around 5000 acres. 2 years later, about a mile from her house, near the border of a cow pasture (which did have heavy foliage), her remains were found. Regardless of how she got there (suicide vs foul play), ME does believe her body had not been moved.
Justin Evans - this is a Canadian case that is still breaking/releasing new info. While professional SAR was never brought on, police claim they searched the area surrounding the RV park (and presumably inside the park itself), used a canine, and took aerial footage. About 5 months later, his body was found in a swampy area that borders the RV park, about a 1000 feet away.
Holly Courtier - I'm sure many of this remember this one as well lol. Searches used LE, canines, helicopters, and drones. It's known to have cost 60k$. 12 days later, found close by to where she had gone missing from. I'm not CONFIDENT about her inclusion on my list as I don't think they could ever prove that Holly had not left the area (and many think she must have to get supplies).
Lisa Prescott - When initially went missing, had multi-agency searches done. 2 years later, an additional search for Lisa by Equusearch Midwest found her remains, only 1300 feet from her house. This is also a bit of an ~eh on the list, as it's possible family was involved and thus Lisa might not have been there the whole time.
 
Submitted by @Seattle1
TX - TX - Jason Landry, 21, enroute from TSU to home, car found crashed at Luling, 14 Dec 2020 #5

Nathan Allen Heathco, 22 in Liberty County TX who was last seen walking away after a car crash. A fisherman found NH's body Sunday morning lying near a tributary that leads into the Trinity River near Private Road 442 in south Liberty County, according to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. This area was just beyond the search perimeter covered by TES on Friday.

Jan 17, 2021 Body found amid search for missing Liberty Co. 22-year-old
 
Submitted by @YaYa_521
TX - TX - Jason Landry, 21, enroute from TSU to home, car found crashed at Luling, 14 Dec 2020 #5

Vicky Brantley was recently located in the exact location where she was last seen. According to the report on the Silver Alert issued she was last seen at Stonehenge Drive and Mulberry Lane in Greenville in a wooded area back in Dec 2020. Her remains were found in 18 June 2021 near Mulberry and Stonehenge Drive. According to this report, "Investigators say they are confident first responders searched the area where her remains were found numerous times."

Found Deceased - NC - Vicky Diane Brantley, 65, Greenville, Dec 2020 *dementia*
 
Submitted by @steeltowngirl
AMBER ALERT - TN - Summer Moon-Utah Wells, 5, Rogersville, 15 Jun 2021 #10

Please add the heartbreaking case of 6 year old Maddox Ritch, whose body was found in an area that had been previously searched.

“Several people in the area confirm that they called police and asked them to search the area. Gaston County Police Chief Joseph Ramey said that was done several times.”

“You would not believe the number of times that we have been over and over the same areas,” said Chief Ramey. “We had two separate kayak teams that had been through that area.”

Day said he saw helicopters and search teams around that area during the week.

A closer look at where Maddox Ritch was found
 
Thank you so much for starting this thread! I definitely didn't bring up anything groundbreaking, but it's important to note that this DOES happen and isn't necessarily indicative of foul play. When I see cases that fit, I'll add it to the thread :)
 
Interesting thread! Could you clarify the criteria for submitting a case?
Any age? No criteria on if they got lost or it was foul play? Are they considered missed by searchers even if they find them within a matter of days?

Thank you!
 
Gentleman named Mike, I think, in the Memphis or Nashville area. I think he worked as a pilot for UPS, and had recently passed a flight physical?

Found very close to his home in a previously searched wooded area.

Some family behavior didn't sit well with us, here.

If I can figure out his name within 57 minutes, I'll edit & add his thread.

My Google-Fu is strong today:

Found Deceased - KY - James 'Mike' Kimsey, 48, Louisville, 29 May 2015
 
Interesting thread! Could you clarify the criteria for submitting a case?
Any age? No criteria on if they got lost or it was foul play? Are they considered missed by searchers even if they find them within a matter of days?

Thank you!

Hopefully, @bombardier and others will chime in with their thoughts. Given the original list wasn't my idea, I can't speak to any "criteria" per se, however I will point out a snippet from bombardier's post: "people who were later found in an area that received an adequate search". The examples I included were specifically people whose remains had been located in an area that was previously searched by LE and/or SAR teams. IMO, a case should be included if a legitimate search effort was made. I think the point of the post was to show that even after extensive and/or multiple searches, victims' remains can be overlooked. I can't imagine age or lost vs. foul play would disqualify a case considering the thread is intended to shed light on past cases in order to inform future cases. As to your last question "Are they considered missed by searchers even if they find them within a matter of days?", I think it's something sleuthers should discuss in order to come to a consensus of what types of cases qualify. MOO

Again, I really hope other posters will share their thoughts and give their opinions.
 
Sara Galloway was found near her home - skeletal remains only, no clothing or personal items which has always seemed odd to me.

Missing woman Sarah Galloway ID'd after remains found near Tucson

"Galloway was found northeast of Anthony and Massingale roads near Tucson. The location is very close to where she was last seen at her home."


https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/autopsy-finds-sarah-galloways-cause-of-death-undetermined
"Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies were only able to recover skeletal remains on Feb. 12. They did not find any clothing or personal effects with the remains."

Her thread:
Found Deceased - AZ - Sara Jean Galloway, 38, Tucson, Pima County, 21 March 2019 *Down Syndrome*
 
Interesting thread! Could you clarify the criteria for submitting a case?
Thank you!

I'd say a case is relevant to this thread no matter their age or how long they were missing for- as long as they were found in an area that was previously professionally or extensively searched. I think it's important to consider all circumstances here because while some of these people do seem like no foul play was involved and SARs simply missed them, there are some cases here where foul play and moving of the body (ie I suspect Lisa Prescott might have been moved to that location after initial searches) are posible. Important to mention all kinds of cases so hopefully we can start picking up on patterns that may account for searching difficulties or may point to foul play!
 
Submitted by @YaYa_521
TX - TX - Jason Landry, 21, enroute from TSU to home, car found crashed at Luling, 14 Dec 2020 #5

Vicky Brantley was recently located in the exact location where she was last seen. According to the report on the Silver Alert issued she was last seen at Stonehenge Drive and Mulberry Lane in Greenville in a wooded area back in Dec 2020. Her remains were found in 18 June 2021 near Mulberry and Stonehenge Drive. According to this report, "Investigators say they are confident first responders searched the area where her remains were found numerous times."

Found Deceased - NC - Vicky Diane Brantley, 65, Greenville, Dec 2020 *dementia*
Perhaps searchers should only use hounds dogs, night goggles. During the night I can't imagine people are wandering. There are so many misses. Sad case.
 
There have been so many! One that I recall is Carnel Chamberlain, the 4-year-old boy from Michigan. They searched for him for days. Then they found his bones buried under his front porch. They had looked under the porch, and they had used humans and dogs to search inside and outside of the home. There have been so many others. It doesn't seem possible to miss a body, but it's quite easy. Dead tree leaves, downed trees and branches, patches of weeds, wildberry bushes. All of it can be enough to cause someone to miss a body. Searchers might check 50 areas where they can see leaves and some weeds. But the body might be in the 51st spot.
 
I followed Leanne's case intently, as many of us did. Many conclusions were leapt to in this one. I believe this one would fit the criteria here. Though the area she was found in was not included in the search area, it was only a mile from where she was last seen.

SAN ANTONIO — Garden Ridge Police found Leanne Bearden's body Thursday less than a mile from a home where the 33-year-old was last seen in January, officials said.

Leanne Bearden's body found in Garden Ridge


Found Deceased - TX - Leanne Bearden, 33, Garden Ridge, 17 Jan 2014 #11
 

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