Police have confirmed human remains discovered in a freezer in a Colorado home belong to a 16-year-old girl.
In January earlier this year, body parts were discovered in a freezer at a property in Grand Junction, Colorado and an investigation was launched by police.
On October 11, authorities released an update revealing the body parts have since been identified as belonging to a teenager, who was last known to be alive nearly 20 years ago, but who was never officially reported missing.
Mesa County Sheriff's Office details it responded to a call 'regarding a suspicious incident' on January 12.
When deputies arrived at the 2900 block of Pinyon Avenue, they found 'the head and hands of a human had been discovered in a freezer by someone who arrived to claim the free appliance offered by the new owner of the recently sold home'.
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An investigation was launched and nine months later, the Mesa County Coroner's Office has revealed the identity of the victim, DNA testing revealing the body parts belong to that of Amanda Leariel Overstreet.
Mesa County Sheriff's Office states: "Amanda is believed to have been approximately 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. Overstreet has not been seen or heard from since April 2005.
"Amanda Overstreet was the biological daughter of the previous owner of the home.
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"The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain under investigation, as well as ongoing forensic testing of evidence. There is no record that Amanda Overstreet was ever reported missing."
The coroner's office statement to Facebook adds the 'remainder' of Amanda's body is yet to be 'recovered', and the case remains an 'active investigation' as a homicide, with no further details to be released at this time.
Mesa County Sheriff's Office public information officer, Wendy Likes, has implored people to give authorities 'some time and some grace to figure out what happened'.
She told CPR News: "We still have a lot of forensic testing that we need to do on evidence and a lot of interviews still to complete.
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"[...] We want to do the best job for her. A child went missing and there's no record that anyone reported her missing, and that's very sad. So we want to be sure that it's a thorough investigation, that we get all the details and the facts right."
Mesa County Sheriff's Office has 'emphasize[d]' the home where the case is centred is 'now under new ownership completely unrelated to the previous case,' urging people to 'respect the current owner and their neighbor's privacy and avoid driving by the home or taking photos'.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Topics: Police, US News, True crime, Crime
Poppy Bilderbeck