Skeletal Remains Found ‘Wrapped’ in Garage of Abandoned Home Identified as Man Who Disappeared Over 2 Years Ago

Remains in Abandoned Ohio Garage Identified as Man Missing for Nearly 3 Years

Skeletal remains discovered in the detached garage of an abandoned Ohio home have been identified as a man who disappeared nearly three years ago.

A 911 call was placed on Sunday, Dec. 7, after possible human remains were found in a garage on Crestline Blooming Grove Road, according to a joint news release from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) and Coroner’s Office (RCCO).

The remains were discovered by three young adults who had been exploring the vacant property, Sergeant Scott Davis — the first officer on the scene — wrote in a separate report.

When the group entered the garage, they initially believed the bones they saw were from an animal. After looking more closely and spotting a skull, they contacted authorities.

The garage was described as being filled with “random trash” and contained a couch without cushions, Davis noted.

“In the center of the garage there was a large blanket and tarp wrapped around skeletal remains. I noticed some bones scattered away from that immediate area but still relatively close,” he wrote. He added that “sheets of plywood bundled together with string” had been placed on top of a blanket containing wrapped remains, which is where the skull was found.

The area was secured with crime scene tape and a crime scene log was started. A search of the house and two nearby barns revealed “nothing suspicious.”

Another responding officer observed that the house appeared to have been abandoned for quite some time and was in “significant” disrepair.

After the remains were recovered and the scene processed, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, which reported an active missing person investigation and offered a possible identity for the deceased, according to the joint statement.

Using dental records, a forensic odontologist from Mercyhurst University confirmed the remains as those of 43-year-old Dustin R. Engler of Galion, Ohio.

Engler had last been seen in Iberia, Ohio, on Feb. 17, 2023, and had not been heard from since, according to The Charley Project, an online database focused on missing persons in cold cases across the United States.

Investigators are still working to determine Engler’s cause of death.

Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit tip line at 419-774-5610.