The severed head and hands of a 16-year-old girl who vanished nearly 20 years ago have been discovered in a freezer at a Colorado home that was sold earlier this year. The discovery has sparked a homicide investigation and the mother of the girl owned the home previously.
According to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, the remains have been identified as Amanda Leariel Overstreet. Overstreet's mother had owned the home previously, per KHOU. Overstreet was last seen in 2005. The grim discovery was made in January when someone arrived at the home to claim a refrigerator from the new owner. Law enforcement responded to a call about a “suspicious incident” in Grand Junction, a city located about 240 miles west of Denver.
"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," police stated.
The sheriff’s office released the identity of the remains nine months, after DNA testing confirmed it was Overstreet. The teenager had not been heard from since April 2005.
“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,” the sheriff’s office said, according to ABC News. "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."
Investigators are still working to uncover the details surrounding Overstreet’s disappearance and how her remains ended up in the freezer. Notably, Overstreet had never been reported missing at the time of her disappearance, according to officials.
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