The Grant County Coroner spent Friday clearing a scene near the Mississinewa River in Marion, Ind., after human remains were found. The remains were found Thursday morning, one week after police received a tip to look in the area.
The speculation is the body is that of Noblesville woman Dorothy Heard, but police said it is too early to tell who the victim is.
"That is kind of beyond the scope of what we do," said Noblesville Lieutenant Bruce Barnes.
Heard vanished in June and her family has been searching ever since.
In November of last year, Fox59 went along with the Heard family as they looked for Dorothy. The family met in Grant County, near the Mississinewa River and went west. They were close, the human remains were found less than half a mile away from where they searched.
"We have been up in the area a number of times," said Barnes. "We have had information throughout this investigation that had made this a point of interest up here."
That information all points back to Heard's nephew, Donald Burns, an estranged member of the Heard family. He was arrested June 14, one day after Heard disappeared. Police said he took Heard's jewelry and tried to pawn it. They also said he took Heard's credit card and used it at a Wal-Mart.
"I have not seen him in years, I do not know what type of person he is," said Rex Heard, Dorothy's son.
Fox59 was at Burns' parole board hearing, when he was formally charged with taking Heard's belongings.
The area where the family has been searching, known as Trail's End to locals, is one of Burns' favorite fishing spots. That is not all, cellphone pings, from both Heard and Burns, hit a cell tower near the 1812 Battlefield, not far from where the remains were found. Despite all this, Burns will not be charged, at least until the body is identified.
"This does not change anything, we are pretty much wide open," said Barnes.
