Human remains consisting of a skull, mandible and other bones were found in a remote wooded area in South Meigs County and are believed to belong to a man who hasn’t been seen for up to a month.
The remains were found by two deputies from the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office who were conducting a wellness check on the man, who lived in a dilapidated, single-wide mobile home where vegetation had grown up so much the site was almost inaccessible to vehicles, District Attorney Russell Johnson said in a press release. The scene is off Bowerman Lane, a one-lane gravel path about 2 miles west of Highway 58.
“Deputies discovered a human skull near what appeared to be a pair of jeans and a mandible near other clothing behind a pickup truck,” Johnson said in the release.
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Members of the Knox County Regional Forensic Center responded to the scene Wednesday to begin a search of the property, the press release said.
“A large fenced-in enclosure with a shed was found with almost a dozen dogs,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, in addition to the skull and mandible, other human bones were discovered and retrieved for further examination and testing. The area of concentration of decomposed remains was near the tailgate of the truck.”
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Due to the length of time the body had been exposed to the elements and animal predation, the collection of remains was limited, the press release said.
“Cause of death is yet to be determined, but foul play is not currently expected, and death is presumed to be naturally caused,” Johnson said. “Authorities believe the remains to be that of Monty Ritter, a man in his mid-60s who was originally from Virginia but had lived in Meigs County for a period of years while working at Solomon Industries in Decatur for approximately nine years.”
Identification information for Ritter was found in a safe box in the truck, and authorities are awaiting positive identification using forensic testing, dental records or DNA tests to close the investigation, the press release said. Family members of Ritter’s have also been contacted.
Johnson said the presumption of the body being Ritter’s was to “quell rumors circulating of the remains being those of other missing or suspected missing persons.”
Meanwhile, authorities are struggling to relocate the surviving dogs because there is no animal shelter in Meigs County, the press release said.
— Compiled by Ben Benton