STARKVILLE — The skeletal remains found Tuesday in the Adaton community could help bring an 11-year-old missing person case to rest.
Oktibbeha County Coroner Michael Hunt said Friday that the identity of the person is believed to be a man who was reported missing in March 2001 in the vicinity of where the remains were found. Hunt, who is being assisted by forensic pathologists at Mississippi State University, said it could take “several more weeks” until he knows for sure.
“Right now, all we have is a skull,” Hunt said. “The Sheriff’s Office did a really good job, but the anthropology people might find out a bit more when they get out there, grid the area and search a bit more.”
Hunt said anthropologic analysis, which will include more investigation at the site, will conclude Wednesday. DNA samples will then be drawn and sent for further analysis to make a match.
Hunt said the body showed no signs of trauma.
According to missing persons database findthemissing.org, Jamshed Aryana, then 63, was reported missing to the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office in March 2001. Aryana was last seen along Highway 82 between Stewart and Kilmichael. He’d left a home on Maroon Drive in Starkville on March 15. Aryana had Alzheimer’s disease.
“I would really hesitate to speculate openly about who I thought it might be,” said Brett Watson, OCSO commander. “I don’t want to give any family members false hope, but I don’t want to rule out anyone either. We don’t want to definitively say until we know for sure.”
Tuesday, a man surveying his property off Reed Road alerted sheriff’s deputies of the human remains near his property line, about a half mile off the road. Deputies and investigators recovered clothing at the scene to determine the remains were that of an adult. No identification, such as a driver’s license or bank cards, was recovered, Watson said.
The OCSO will continue to work with surrounding counties to determine if any missing persons could be linked to the remains, Watson said.
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