East Texas

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

MOORE STATION — Could the skeletal remains found in a heavily wooded area by hunters be the remains of a man who was headed back to prison for parole violation?

The question is being asked by detectives with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department investigating the discovery of remains found earlier this week.

Lt. Pat McWilliams said though it is early in the investigation and the remains had been in the weather since last spring, there was one clue. The man’s abandoned pickup was also found in the area where the bones were found off Farm-to-Market Road 314 south of Brownsboro near Flat Creek.

“They didn’t find all of the bones, but they did locate the bottom jaw which had some teeth attached and we’re hoping to match those with some dental records,” he said. “If we can do that then the identification process will be much quicker, but if we have to go the DNA route it could be a year or longer before we know anything definitively.”

McWilliams said the arm and leg bones were missing and most likely taken from the area by wild animals.

Because no signs of foul play were noticed it is believed the man, who faced a parole violation after evading officers and resisting arrest in Kaufman County, may have taken his own life.

McWilliams said detectives have talked to the man’s family and learned it was not uncommon for him to disappear for long periods of time without contacting his family.

McWilliams said the landowner and area residents did not report the abandoned pickup because they believed it had been dumped.

“The pickup had been stripped and it appears someone even came through with a tractor and pushed the vehicle out of the pathway so they could get by,” he said.

McWilliams said there are no missing person cases fitting any of the clothing descriptions, but he also added the man they believe the bones may belong to could be in Mexico hiding from law enforcement.

“We just really can’t say for sure, but we believe we know who it is,” he said.