Howell County Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered skeletal remains on Saturday in a rural part of the county, announced Public Information Officer Angela Conboy in a statement issued to media outlets shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.
“Due to the complexity of the scene, and the inclement weather, Howell County patrol deputies and troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol maintained 24-hour coverage on the scene” until the remains were fully recovered on Wednesday, she added.
The remains have not been identified, she said, and the area in which they were found was not specified. An autopsy will be conducted before the remains are sent to the patrol laboratory for identification, said Conboy, reminding the public that positive identification will take some time and as soon as the remains are positively identified, an update will be provided by the Howell County Sheriff’s Office.
The Howell County Sheriff’s Office expressed thanks to the patrol, West Plains Police Department, West Plains Fire Department, Howell County Coroner’s Office, Howell County Prosecutor’s Office, Howell County Road & Bridge Department, South Howell County Ambulance, Southeastern Missouri State Anthropology Department and investigators and deputies from Fulton County and Sharp County, Ark., for their assistance.
