Unidentified human remains were discovered in a makeshift backyard grave at the home of an elderly Mississippi woman who had been reported missing — and investigators have now charged her son and daughter-in-law in connection with the case, authorities said.
On Monday, Dec. 22, the Jackson Police Department issued a missing persons alert for Carol Ryan, 81, after a family member reported that no one had heard from her for months.
The caller told police that Ryan was believed to be staying at a nursing home in Brandon, but efforts to find her there had come up empty, according to the announcement.
That same night, Jackson police obtained a search warrant for Ryan’s home, Police Chief Tyree Jones told reporters at the scene on Tuesday, Dec. 23, in a video statement posted on Facebook.
Jones said investigators uncovered evidence that prompted them to bring in excavators and other heavy machinery. The search ultimately led to what he described as “unidentified human remains that were buried in this backyard.”
The remains were wrapped in a tarp and buried in a grave estimated to be six to eight feet deep, with concrete inside, the Clarion-Ledger reports.
Authorities believe Ryan may have disappeared from the home, where she lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Jones said. He added that investigators suspect the body was buried “long before” Ryan was officially reported missing.
On Wednesday, Dec. 24, the Jackson Police Department issued a press release stating that John Ryan, 50, and his wife, Samantha Ryan, 48, were arrested and charged with desecration of a human corpse, the Clarion Ledger reports.
Carol Ryan will remain classified as a missing person until the remains are conclusively identified, Jones said on Dec. 23.
John Ryan is being held on a $100,000 bond, while Samantha Ryan is being held on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records. Jones said additional charges could still be filed.
It is not yet known whether either suspect has retained an attorney.
The Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.
