John Jefferson
Home where Amanda Leariel Overstreet was found (Google Maps).
Authorities have identified human remains — a head and pair of hands — found at a home, but that just leaves more questions than answers. It was Amanda Leariel Overstreet, the biological daughter of the previous owner of the home, who was discovered in a freezer in the 2900 block of Pinyon Avenue, say deputies in Mesa County, Colorado. They said she had not been seen since April 2005 at age 16, and yet there was apparently no records of anyone reporting her missing.
The remains were discovered back on Jan. 12 after the house was sold to a new owner.
“Persons at the address cleaning out the recently sold property discovered possible human remains inside the residence,” authorities wrote.
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Deputies later said that the new owner of the home had been giving away the freezer.
“Upon arrival, Deputies 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,” they said.
Authorities were emphatic that the current owner isn’t implicated in any crime.
“The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office would like to emphasize that the home where the Pinyon Avenue Homicide investigation centered is now under new ownership, completely unrelated to the previous case,” they wrote. “The house was purchased, fully remodeled, and sold to the current owner. We urge you to respect the current owner and their neighbors’ privacy and avoid driving by the home or taking photos.”
Deputies have yet to publicly suggest any suspects. Authorities said they are still looking into the circumstances of Amanda’s disappearance and are doing forensic testing on the evidence.
“It’s incredibly sad that no one knew she was there,” sheriff’s public information officer Wendy Likes told Grand Junction CBS affiliate KREX. “No one that we’re aware of knew she was missing. That no one took the time to find out where this child was or what happened to her, and that’s why we are taking the time we are taking to make sure that we answer all those questions.”
Citing neighbors, the outlet described the previous residents, a family, as having “seemingly taken off overnight, leaving most of their belongings behind.”
By accounts, the home appears to have been a complete mess.
“I would walk my dogs about once every other day, and just walking by the house, you just smelled mildew,” Jamison Perez, a local man who lived near the home since 1997, told Grand Junction ABC affiliate KJCT. “It would make you sick walking by.”
He described to KREX that he last saw the girl in 2005.
“Matter of fact, [we] noted that she was dressed very — almost like an old lady,” he told the outlet.
He said that the family were later asked what happened to her.
“They said that she got sent off to Texas or somewhere,” he said.
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