A Southern Texas man made a grisly discovery when he opened the septic tank on a property for a service two months ago.
Inside the tank were human remains; the man swiftly called his local sheriff to report a boot and “large bone”.
Now, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has announced the skeletal remains belong to 21-year-old Leona Marie Tollett Johnson, who went missing in 2004, CBS reports. DNA evidence has confirmed the match.
Officials believe Ms Johnson was stabbed to death with a sharp object.
A murder warrant has been issued for the owner of the property in Edcouch where the young woman’s remains were found.
As 7 News reports, the property is owned by 40-year-old Aristeo Cervantes Jr., who is currently behind bars in Texas for stabbing his wife to death at the same property in 2015.
According to investigators, Cervantes confessed to stabbing a woman in 2004 after an argument, and claimed to have hidden her remains in the septic tank. He said he did not know the woman.
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