'Multiple human remains' discovered during search for 4 missing Oklahoma cyclists: Police

'Multiple human remains' discovered during search for 4 missing Oklahoma cyclists: Police



Police have confirmed that "multiple human remains" have been discovered during their search for four cyclists who went out for a bike ride in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, on Sunday night and never returned home.

At around 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, 32-year-old Mark Chastain, his 30-year-old brother Billy Chastain, 32-year-old Mike Sparks, and 29-year-old Alex Stevens headed out for a bike ride and then seemed to disappear. The four were reported missing on Monday, and police have been on the hunt for them ever since.

The search took an alarming turn on Friday when a passerby reportedly spotted something "suspicious" in the Deep Fork River, about 40 miles from Okmulgee, and immediately notified police. Though police said that they have found "multiple objects in the water that appear to be human remains," they cautioned that they have not identified any of the remains and that there is no evidence of foul play.

"At this time, we cannot make an identification, but out of respect, we let the families know [about the discovery] before it was officially announced," Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said at a press conference. "If it turns out that these four missing men are the remains in the river, then the focus of our investigation will shift from finding them to what happened to them."

Though Prentice admitted that he has never seen a case of four simultaneous disappearances, he advised the community not to jump to conclusions.

"At this point, the evidence tells me I have four missing adults," Prentice stated. "I have no evidence there's any violence involved at this point. We always consider that a possibility in any missing persons case, and we're not discounting that possibility, but not persons of interest."

Meanwhile, family and friends have expressed skepticism that any of them will be found alive.

"I know nothing, and I'm feeling lost," admitted Jessica Chastain, wife of Mark. "I'm heartbroken. I'm sad. I have so many mixed emotions and thoughts."

Billy's girlfriend Megan Gordan shared similar doubts: "It's getting hopeless. I still have hope, but it's getting hopeless."

Gordan claimed that family and friends have continued their own search for the missing men.

"Just because [police are] searching doesn't mean we can't," Jessica added.

It is believed that the men may have made several stops on Sunday evening. GPS records from Mark's cell phone indicate that they may have visited a junkyard, a gas station, and a salvage yard. Mark last spoke on the phone around 5 p.m. on Sunday, the last time anyone had confirmed communication with any of the men. Though there are other reported sightings of them as recently as early Tuesday morning, none of those sightings has been confirmed.

"We're heartbroken," Jessica Chastain stated. "We're sad. We're just, the unknown is what's getting us. Like, we need some type of closure."

Police insist they will provide updates on the case as soon as they become available.


New Zealand family discovers human remains in storage unit bought at auction

New Zealand family discovers human remains in storage unit bought at auction



Buying any kind of property, sight unseen, always carries a high risk, and one New Zealand family has learned that lesson the hard way.

The unnamed family bought a trailer-sized storage unit at an auction last week and began sorting through the new belongings they acquired with the purchase when they made a gruesome discovery: dismembered human remains.

Police are currently in the process of determining the identity of the remains, and indeed, even the number of remains. Police are investing the situation as a possible homicide.

On Friday, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said he expected the post-mortems to be completed "over the coming days."

"The priority for police is to confirm the identification of the deceased so that we can establish the full circumstances behind the discovery," Vaaelua continued.

"This will also lead to the advising of next of kin," he added. "Given the nature of the discovery, this might take some time."

The remains themselves were discovered in suitcases located within the storage unit. However, even neighbors were alerted to the presence of decomposed remains by the "wicked" smell emanating from the storage unit, which had been brought to the South Auckland home owned by the buyers.

One neighbor, a former crematorium employee, recognized the smell immediately.

"I knew straight away, and I thought, 'Where is that coming from?'" the unidentified man said.

"I could smell it here," another neighbor remarked. "I thought it was a dead cat or something."

Bidders throughout the world often buy storage units and foreclosed homes at auction without the chance to survey the contents. The hope is that one such purchase will yield a treasure trove of hidden valuables.

However, in this instance, the hidden contents brought undue national and international attention on the South Auckland family, who are not believed to have been involved in the possible crime. In order to avoid the spotlight, the family has relocated temporarily and left their home in the care of a relative.

The male relative told reporters that the family is "doing all right" but would like some privacy at this time.

For video footage of the scene outside the residence, see this news report from the New Zealand Herald:


Third set of human remains discovered at Lake Mead since May



A third set of human remains has been found at Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nevada, as the reservoir's water levels have receded to historic lows amid exceptional drought and increased water demand, officials said.

The human remains were discovered by a visitor to Swim Beach in Lake Mead National Recreation Area at around 4:30 p.m. local time on July 25, the National Park Service said in a statement.

Park rangers responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the area to investigate and recover the remains. The Clark County medical Examiner was contacted to determine the cause of death, officials said.

This was at least the third body found in the country's largest reservoir since May as the water level has receded to record low levels.

The first body, discovered on May 1, was found decomposing in a barrel on a newly exposed stretch of shoreline. Authorities said the remains likely belonged to a murder victim who died from a gunshot wound more than 40 years ago, based on clothing and shoes found inside the barrel. Las Vegas police are investigating the death as a homicide.

The second body was found days later on May 7 at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, roughly 9 miles from the first body. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner had no updates on that case, CNN reported last week.

The grisly discoveries were made as Lake Mead's water levels have fallen to 1,040 feet, which officials warn is close to the reservoir's "dead-pool" level.

Lake Mead is a man-made lake formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. The water level has been declining for decades as a result of extreme drought in the western United States and increased water demand. The reservoir supplies water to at least 40 million people across 7 states and northern Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Water moving through the Hoover Dam also supplies electricity to hundreds of thousands of people living in the area. But as the decades-long drought continues, there may not be enough water running through the dam's turbines to generate power for those households.

The lake has now fallen to just 27% of its capacity, its lowest level since being filled in 1937. Experts say the lake will reach dead-pool level if it falls to 895 feet, at which point water will no longer flow past the dam.

Satellite photos released by NASA earlier this month comparing Lake Mead in 2000 to the lake in 2021 show a dramatic reduction in water levels since in the past two decades.

\u201cLake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States and part of a system that supplies water to at least 40 million people across 7 states and northern Mexico. In July, the reservoir had fallen to 27% capacity, an all-time low. \ud83e\uddf5 \n\nSource: @USGS / NASA\u201d
— US Department of the Interior (@US Department of the Interior) 1659362181

This year, for the first time, water levels at Lake Mead have reached so-called "trigger elevations" that will result in Arizona and Nevada seeing cuts to their water supply as part of a 2007 agreement between the two states and California, according to Reuters.

The drought has left a white "bathtub ring" of mineral deposits on rocks along the sides of the lake marking where water levels once stood.

Experts forecast the lake will reach a 1,047.8 ft. level at the end of next year, which will trigger further cuts in the water supply to Western states, and potentially lead to more discoveries along newly exposed shorelines.

Human remains allegedly found near Brian Laundrie's possessions in Florida nature reserve



Law enforcement officials searching for Brian Laundrie have discovered what they believe to be partial human remains in a Florida nature reserve nearby several personal items belonging to the fugitive, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

According to Fox News, investigators found "what appear to be human remains" during a cadaver dog search in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, alongside "some articles belonging" to Laundrie.

Laundrie's parents coordinated with law enforcement and assisted investigators in the Wednesday search, family's attorney Steven Bertolino said.

The site where the apparent human remains were found was previously underwater, NBC News reported.

The remains have not been confirmed to be Laundrie's, but the Sarasota County medical examiner has been called to the scene to begin the process of identification. The FBI is now also leading a thorough search of the area and is expected to address the discovery in a news conference later this afternoon.

In a statement, Bertolino said, "Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian."

He added: "The FBI and NPPD were informed last night of Brian's parents' intentions and they met Chris and Roberta there this morning. After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented, some articles belonging to Brian were found. As of now, law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area."

The news comes just shortly after a blogger noticed a small change on Laundrie's Pinterest account that potentially indicated that he was still alive.

Laundrie, 23, who is the sole person of interest in the Gabby Petito murder case, has been missing for more than a month since returning home to North Port without his fiancé in early September.

Petito's remains were discovered Sept. 19 in Wyoming near a campsite in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and a medical examiner later determined that she had been strangled to death weeks before being found.

The 22-year-old had been missing since Sept. 11. She and Laundrie were traveling on a cross-country trip when she inexplicably disappeared.

In recent weeks, law enforcement have led an exhaustive search for Laundrie centering on the Carlton Reserve in Florida where he frequently visited.

Given their location of nearby personal items belonging to Laundrie, it would not be surprising if the apparent remains were found to be Laundrie's. However, it should be noted that the manhunt for Laundrie has turned up at least five bodies of missing persons.

Apparent Human Remains Found After Brian Laundrie's Possessions Located In FL Park www.youtube.com