Skeletal remains found in shallow grave

On Monday, August 8, 2022, an inmate in the Polk County Detention Center led the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to skeletal remains in a shallow grave west of Hatfield, Arkansas. The remains were found in a heavily wooded area along the Mountain Fork River.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, spent Tuesday August 9, 2022 recovering the remains and processing the scene.

Sheriff Scott Sawyer stated that due to the state of the remains, positive identification and cause of death were not readily apparent, but that they believed the remains were connected to a 2020 missing persons case.

The inmate that assisted in locating the remains is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges.

Sheriff Sawyer stated that the remains will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for positive identification and a cause of death determination. He anticipates additional charges being filed once the autopsy is performed.

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