GRAND JUNCTION, CO – In a chilling development, the body parts discovered in a freezer earlier this year in a newly purchased Colorado home have been identified as belonging to the 16-year-old daughter of the previous owner, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office announced that Amanda Leariel Overstreet’s death is being investigated as a homicide. The investigation was initiated following the grim discovery in January when the freezer was offered for free by the new homeowner, who found it left behind in the garage.
Upon claiming the freezer, the recipient found human remains, including a head and forearms with hands, prompting a call to the authorities on January 12. Investigators revealed that the last sighting or contact with Amanda took place in April 2005.
The sheriff’s office stated that the circumstances of Amanda’s disappearance are under ongoing investigation. Additionally, forensic evidence is being analyzed to reveal more about the case. Significantly, no missing person report was filed for Amanda Overstreet.
The Mesa County coroner’s office corroborated the identification of the remains, stating that the manner of death is being treated as a homicide. However, much of her body remains undiscovered, and no cause of death has been disclosed. The coroner’s office highlighted that DNA analysis was crucial in confirming Amanda’s identity.
Amanda was known to have lived in both the Grand Junction area and Harris County, Texas, authorities said. The current homeowner, authorities emphasized, is not connected to the prior occupants of the property where the freezer was found.
In addressing community concerns, the sheriff’s office reassured the public that the property has undergone significant renovation and is now in entirely new ownership, distinct from the years when Amanda disappeared.