Confirmation on Identity of Remains to Take Time (Includes Interview With Students Who Found the Skeleton)

Sheriff James Singleton contacted the uncle of a man missing since 2012 today and let him know that skeletal remains had been located on the property where his nephew lived at the time he went missing.

Sheriff Singleton said that his department isn’t speculating about the identity of the remains and are still waiting for a positive ID by the State Crime Lab. The Sheriff said that they are investigating the death and the crime lab’s determination of manner and cause of death will determine what direction the investigation takes.

There is a lot of speculation and a bit of certainty among people in the community that the remains found along a pond near a house on Spring Hill Rd. Sunday are those of Joseph Christopher “Chris” Cowart. Cowart’s parents owned the land and built the house resided in by one of the young men who made the discovery.

Cowart resided at the house at the time he was reported missing by his uncle on May 20, 2012 after he had not been able to contact him for several days. His vehicle, money and belongings were reportedly at the residence when the Sheriff’s Office investigated at the time.

Chris Cowart was 58 years old when he went missing in 2012 and there were attempts made to locate him. The house he resided in sits on 5-acres now but at the time the family’s property covered around 80 acres behind the residence. The property was searched but no body or evidence was reported located.

Sheriff Singleton expects it to take some time to get an ID from the crime lab so no confirmation of whether the remains belong to Chris Cowart or someone else is expected in the coming days.

You can view the original story HERE.