In a grim discovery tied to a missing Harris County teen, human remains found in a Colorado freezer have been identified. The Mesa County Coroner's Office verified the remains as those of Amanda Leariel Overstreet, a 16-year-old who vanished nearly two decades ago, Click2Houston reported. Overstreet was last seen alive in April 2005 and surprisingly, was never reported missing according to official records.
Amanda's remains were located in a freezer at a Pinyon Avenue residence in Colorado, after a person showing up for a free appliance from the new homeowner made the grizzly find. On January 12, deputies from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office responded to the call, whereas the individual intending to claim the appliance uncovered a human head, and hands inside the appliance. KHOU noted the rest of the body has yet to be found and the death is being treated as a homicide.
Further investigation revealed that the previous owner of the home, Overstreet’s biological mother, never filed a missing person report. This detail adds a perplexing layer to an already tragic case as authorities continue to unravel the circumstances of Amanda’s disappearance. Officials have been conducting forensic testing to assist in gathering more evidence and piece together the timeline of events that led to Amanda being hidden away in a cold metal chamber, slipping through the cracks of a system meant to notice, meant to protect.
The new homeowners, who inadvertently came to possess the grim contents, had hosted a garage sale to clear out leftover belongings from the previous owners which included, the deep freezer, according to a statement obtained by KHOU. It was during this sale, that the freezer was opened and the body parts discovered. The Mesa County investigators have combed through the property for any additional evidence, but found nothing further to date.
The Mesa County Sheriff's Office continues to lead an active investigation into this case. They appeal for anyone with information about Overstreet's disappearance and death to come forward.