SOUTH BEND -- Police are investigating a murder after a body was found buried in a back yard in South Bend. The body was discovered early Sunday morning behind a home in the 200-block of East Dayton Street.

Nathaniel Richerson, 19, of Michigan has been arrested on a preliminary charge of murder. And 27-year-old Matt Weidler, also from Michigan, has been arrested on a preliminary charge of assisting a criminal.

Two dogs with an organization called Michiana Search Dogs found the body. They're trained to find human remains.

The dogs were called in after police noticed a large area in the back yard that had been dug up. But the story goes back much further than that.

It all started with a frantic phone call to police last Friday.

"Family members indicated they had not heard from the homeowner since August the 5th," said St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit Assistant Commander Mike Grzegorek.

Police went to the home, but all they found was a big mess inside.

"Officers suspected foul play and initiated a missing person's investigation," said Grzegorek.

Police went back to the home Saturday night after learning there were several people there. But when officers arrived that wasn’t all they found. They say the back yard looked suspicious.

"The area that was disturbed appeared to have been dug up and then there was mulch down. There was also some other items of wood and shingles laid on top of that area," said St. Joseph County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ken Cotter.

Police called in search dogs trained to find human remains. Shortly after they started searching the back yard, they picked up a scent.

"The dogs alert on human remains by their indication is to lay down. And Wiley did that. He worked the yard when he came up to the area of disturbed soil he laid down," said Michiana Search Dogs Assistant Director Annie Schagger.

Police got a warrant to search the home. And soon they would be able to prove what the dogs had found.

"Investigators learned through the interviews and evidence collection that a person had been killed at the home and the body was buried in the back yard," said Grzegorek.

Police arrested Nathaniel Richerson and Matt Weidler. Neighbor Charles Young says he was sad to hear what had happened just across the street.

"That is terrible. That is really horrible," said Young.

But he's not surprised.

"These streets here are bad. I'd never go up them in the daytime let alone at night, never," said Young.

Police say one of the suspects was a friend of the victim, but they aren't saying who the victim is. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.