CO Grand Junction - Human remains found in freezer - 12 Jan 2024 (Amanda Leariel Overstreet)

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ClaireNC

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Human head, hands found in freezer at recently-sold Colorado house
Authorities are now investigating a possible homicide after the grisly discovery at a home on Pinyon Avenue in Grand Junction that neighbors said had recently been sold.

A neighbor, who declined to be identified, told KREX that the new owners posted on social media inviting people to pick up “free stuff” that had been left in the home. While cleaning out one of those items – a deep freezer in the garage – the human remains were found in a black bag underneath frozen animal meat.

After discovery of human head and hands, investigators in western Colorado attempt to identify remains

The house is located on the 2900 block of Pinyon Avenue. Pinyon Avenue is close to the intersection of Orchard Avenue and 28 3/4 Road.
The investigation is being treated as a homicide. "Our hope is to positively identify the victim while remaining respectful of the victim and the victim's family." Officials from the sheriff's office say extensive testing on the human remains is in progress. They said "these types of tests take a significant amount of time" but didn't go into detail about what tests are being performed.
 
Oddly, there isn't a recent sale listed on the Mesa County Assessor's property search. The property was owned (according to the Assessor's site) by a husband and wife until the husband died in 2021. His death certificate was attached to the record on 11/20/2023, and that's the most recent document on there.

However, I was able to find a General Warranty Deed transferring the property from the owner still listed on the Assessor's property search to a house flipping enterprise on 1/12/2024...the same day the initial remains were found, according to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.

The previous owners seem like the most obvious suspects, but i did find some news reports and a blog post by a local that state they were hoarders--which the most recent google street view would also suggest. Depending on exactly how they acquired all that they had, it strikes me that it's not impossible that they bought the freezer already full of meat. Not the most likely answer, of course, but not out of the realm of possibility.
 
According to news reports, it sounds like the freezer was in an outbuilding or garage, so it might have been accessible to people not connected to the family that used to live there. Never know what might be found in severe hoarding situations. The remains and the meat in that freezer could have been there for many years. I think the family had been living there since 2006.

I think the wife and an adult son were living there until recently.
 
Hands and head suggests who ever is responsible was concerned about identification of the body.

The head and hands were stashed in the freezer for thinking time while they worked out how to dispose of them securely?

Just speculating
 
A neighbor, Sam Troester, told NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver that the previous homeowners — an elderly mother and her son — had moved out on the morning of Jan. 12 and new owners showed up that same day to begin clearing the property. The homebuyers had posted online to invite people to collect scrap metal and take other materials left behind in the yard and garage, including a freezer, Troester said.

But when investigators in hazmat gear later arrived, Troester took cellphone video of the unusual scene across the street.

Unexpectedly, people who had been on the property knocked on her door asking to use her restroom, and she wanted to know what was happening.

"They continued to tell me that they opened the freezer and they were taking the meat that was on top out, to empty it out so they could transport it," Troester said. "They moved the old freeze-dried meat, took out a black bag."

"They were opening it," she added, "and they said a head fell out."
 
A neighbor, Sam Troester, told NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver that the previous homeowners — an elderly mother and her son — had moved out on the morning of Jan. 12 and new owners showed up that same day to begin clearing the property. The homebuyers had posted online to invite people to collect scrap metal and take other materials left behind in the yard and garage, including a freezer, Troester said.

But when investigators in hazmat gear later arrived, Troester took cellphone video of the unusual scene across the street.

Unexpectedly, people who had been on the property knocked on her door asking to use her restroom, and she wanted to know what was happening.

"They continued to tell me that they opened the freezer and they were taking the meat that was on top out, to empty it out so they could transport it," Troester said. "They moved the old freeze-dried meat, took out a black bag."

"They were opening it," she added, "and they said a head fell out."

Yikes! I can't imagine a more traumatizing surprise!
 
According to the podcast the neighbors referred to the house as "the house of hoarders." The previous people that lived there (Bradley & L & fam) had flooding in May 2021, and were living in a hotel while dealing w/insurance & constructors getting the home repairs worked out. In June 2021, Bradley got sick w/covid and died July 2021 (covid related).


JoScot reposted
New #Colorado homeowners discover a chilling surprise in their garage freezer left by previous owners—a human head and hands! Listen to the full story on #BodyBags with @JoScottForensic: https://apple.co/3uAXusn

 
Hands and head suggests who ever is responsible was concerned about identification of the body.

The head and hands were stashed in the freezer for thinking time while they worked out how to dispose of them securely?

Just speculating

An old British joke about memory loss that sounded so funny in my youth might turn a true story, after all. Someone hides the identifying parts, maybe waiting for the time to safely dispose of the remnants. Then the span of almost 20 years + post-Covid issues render the perpetrator feeble of memory, then the person is transferred to geriatric care and someone buys the property. The new owners graciously advertise “free stuff” on a neighborhood community FB, et voila…
Another version: whoever did it, planned to keep the objects there till his own death.
 
The head and hands can't be Mr. Imer, can it?
I dont think so.

From the Newsweek article posted upthread:

An unidentified neighbor told Western Slope Now: "As far as I can gather, the gentleman was taking care of his mom. They never really had many people over."

So, could it be Bradley's mother? moo


LE have not released any info (to date) about victim's identification other than its a homicide. An autopsy was done.
 
Surprised that there haven't been any updates on this case. I can understand them not having identified the remains yet, but I do wonder if they've found where the two living Imers moved to after leaving their hoarded house and I'd like to hear what they had to say about what was found in the freezer.
 
Surprised that there haven't been any updates on this case. I can understand them not having identified the remains yet, but I do wonder if they've found where the two living Imers moved to after leaving their hoarded house and I'd like to hear what they had to say about what was found in the freezer.

I'd like to know what the DNA says about the lodger of someone's freezer. Name, prior residence, etc. The poor thing might be in NAMUS, for all we know.
 
October 11, 2024

Identified as 16 year old Amanda Overstreet, daughter of the previous owners of the home.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office identified the human remains as belonging to Amanda Leariel Overstreet, who was believed to be around 16-years-old at the time of her disappearance. Overstreet was the biological daughter of the home’s previous owner, according to a Friday morning press release.

 
October 11, 2024

Identified as 16 year old Amanda Overstreet, daughter of the previous owners of the home.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office identified the human remains as belonging to Amanda Leariel Overstreet, who was believed to be around 16-years-old at the time of her disappearance. Overstreet was the biological daughter of the home’s previous owner, according to a Friday morning press release.

The article also says Amanda vanished around 2005 and was never reported missing :(
 
October 11, 2024

Identified as 16 year old Amanda Overstreet, daughter of the previous owners of the home.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office identified the human remains as belonging to Amanda Leariel Overstreet, who was believed to be around 16-years-old at the time of her disappearance. Overstreet was the biological daughter of the home’s previous owner, according to a Friday morning press release.

Aw, man. Poor kid. Never reported missing, but that's not surprising when she was found at home. How did this kid fall through the cracks?

MOO
 

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