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The discovery of human remains in forsaken dwellings raises questions about identity, circumstances, and causes of death, as well as the reasons they ended up in these locations. Sadly, some of these mysteries may never be solved. When answers are found, they often reveal tales of tragedy, substance abuse, criminal activity, and, in certain instances, homicide.
Below are ten chilling accounts of remains uncovered in abandoned houses.
10. Unknown Deceased Individual (Mamou, Louisiana)
On October 20, 2024, a cyclist passing through an alley near Cypress Street in Mamou, Louisiana, was struck by an overwhelming odor. Concerned, he stopped to investigate and, upon looking through the window of a nearby vacant house, discovered a lifeless body.
As reported by KLFY Lafayette television’s journalist Jasmine Dean, authorities did not initially suspect foul play. However, identifying the remains, along with determining the time, manner, and cause of death, depended on autopsy results. Police sought assistance from the public in identifying the body.
A local woman, who alerted the police after verifying the presence of the body, described the decomposed remains as “horrific.” She noted that without the recognizable feminine clothing, it would have been impossible to determine the gender of the deceased.
As of an October 22, 2024, KFLY news update, the autopsy had yet to be performed. Since then, no further information has been released regarding the woman’s death.
9. Daniel Mario Preslar
The body of a man found in a deserted house on Lott Road in Mobile, Alabama, was identified through the serial number on his pacemaker. The deceased was 47-year-old Daniel Mario Preslar. Police indicated that his death was connected to “a criminal case dating back over a year,” as reported by WKRG TV.
Preslar had been reported missing in 2020. His remains were buried over 6 feet (1.8 meters) beneath the house, with the floor removed specifically for this purpose and later restored after the burial. Acting on a tip, police executed a search warrant and discovered the body during their third attempt.
A FoxNews 10 update revealed that Preslar’s death resulted from “a dispute involving drugs and money.” During the altercation, he struck a man with a hammer, prompting a woman to shoot him twice with a revolver. Lieutenant Mark Bailey stated that the woman acted “in self-defense.”
The informant was the individual who had buried the body. According to Bailey, he agreed to share details about the crime under the condition that he would not face charges.
Lieutenant Bailey noted that it was highly unusual for someone to avoid charges in such cases. Reporter Daeshen Smith added that, despite assurances from the district attorney that the informant and others involved would not be charged, the grand jury retained the authority to indict them. However, no subsequent reports indicated any indictments in this case.
8. Caitlin Crum
According to WJHL-TV, the body of 20-year-old Caitlin Crum was discovered on November 7, 2021, inside a deserted house in Greeneville, Tennessee. It was sent to the William L. Jenkins Forensics Center for an autopsy. Both her cousin, Shawn Crum, and her children’s aunt, Ashlee Lynch, considered her death suspicious.
Her vehicle was found abandoned at a church a mile from her residence, an area she rarely visited and despite her aversion to walking long distances. Shawn mentioned it was unusual for her to enter abandoned houses. Lynch noted that Caitlin typically stayed in regular contact with her family, making her prolonged silence highly uncharacteristic.
Preston Ronez Moore was convicted in connection with the case for abusing a corpse, failing to report a body, and tampering with evidence. With the consent of Crum’s family, he accepted a plea deal resulting in “a total eight-year sentence, with 120 days in jail and the remainder on probation,” as reported by Ken Little in the Greeneville Sun. Authorities confirmed that Crum’s death was caused by an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Moore was present at the time of her death.
7. Derek Clark and Unidentified Woman
The remains of 39-year-old Derek Clark and an unidentified woman were discovered in separate abandoned houses in Evansville, Indiana. Clark’s body was found in the 200 block of Read Street, while the woman’s was located in the 1000 block of Harriet Street.
The abandoned houses are situated in a part of the city with a significant homeless population. Neighbor Kyle Lannert mentioned that as many as 15 to 20 individuals have been seen entering and leaving these vacant properties. He described the odor inside the house as overwhelming. Police attributed the “advanced decomposition” of the bodies to the intense July heat and could not confirm if the two deaths were connected.
As reported by WJHL-TV, Officer Taylor Merriss stated that while the city offers excellent facilities for the homeless, not everyone utilizes these shelters, often opting for alternative locations. He urged residents to “report any activity involving people entering or exiting abandoned homes.”
6. Jean-Pierre Renault
The fractured and stabbed body of a 30-year-old man was discovered in the basement of a deserted mansion at 12 Rue Oudinot, Paris, France. Workers renovating the property found the remains seven months after the mansion was sold for $41.2 million, as reported by Michelle Mark in Business Insider.
Documents found near the remains identified the body as Jean-Pierre Renault, a homeless man who had passed away approximately 30 years earlier. The circumstances surrounding “his death remain unclear,” though it was theorized that he might have died during a confrontation, either inside the mansion or elsewhere before being brought there.
5. Alyssa Ann Rivera
On June 21, 2024, as reported by Fox 7 Austin, a caller alerted police in Austin, Texas, to the presence of a body in a deserted house on Metcalfe Road. Officers arrived and discovered the remains of 34-year-old Alyssa Rivera.
On June 3, authorities released video footage showing Rivera walking down a city street with a man deemed “a person of interest” in her death. The video, however, is grainy, dark, and partially captured from a distance, making it difficult to discern details.
DNA evidence indicates that her death may be connected to “the six-year-old murder of Alba Jenisse Aviles,” as both cases appear to involve sexual violence and strangulation. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
4. Brian Hendricks
On January 29, 2024, a shots fired alert prompted Indianapolis Metropolitan Police to surround a vacant, boarded-up house. Inside, they discovered the body of 31-year-old Brian Hendricks. Treating the case as a homicide, investigators quickly identified a suspect: Billy Crawford, who was subsequently arrested.
As reported by WAFF, an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, police discovered that the abandoned house was allegedly used as a heroin distribution site. Crawford, after waiving his Miranda rights, confessed to driving his van in the area and having an argument with Hendricks inside the house.
Crawford claimed he was holding his handgun when Hendricks attempted to grab it, causing the weapon to discharge. Hendricks was struck in the neck and chest. Crawford later asserted that he acted in self-defense. He was charged with murder and taken into custody on February 10, 2024.
3. Sean Hill
An open door at an abandoned house in Millville, New Jersey, prompted police to investigate, leading to the discovery of 21-year-old Sean Hill’s body. An autopsy confirmed that Hill’s death was a homicide. Like many cities, Millville is grappling with the issue of vacant properties, which attract criminal activity, including drug-related offenses, as noted by newspaper reporter Joseph P. Smith.
In a follow-up article for the Daily Journal, it was revealed that on November 5, 2017, 25-year-old Justin L. “Spazz” Daughtry confessed to killing Hill, a resident of Port Norris, New Jersey. Daughtry admitted to beating Hill to death with a concrete block inside the abandoned house. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison without parole, though no motive for the murder was disclosed.
2. Dynasty Miles
WXYZ Detroit reported that 23-year-old Dynasty Miles of Southfield, Michigan, had “been missing since New Year’s Day.” According to reporter Smita Kaloke, Miles had driven to a Benihana restaurant in Dearborn but never collected her order.
Miles’s location was determined when police found a woman’s body on the first floor of a deserted house in Detroit. Authorities stated that she had been “forcibly dragged inside,” as reported by Kaloke.
Police also discovered clothing that likely matched what Miles was wearing when she was last seen. They were searching for the Dodge Durango she was believed to have entered, leaving her own vehicle behind at the restaurant.
Miles’s death was classified as a homicide, and her stepmother, Tara Paymon, confirmed her identity.
1. Unidentified Body (Holly Springs, Mississippi)
As reported by WRG TV, a father and son duo of treasure hunters stumbled upon something unexpected: a body inside an abandoned house in Holly Springs, Mississippi. On February 24, 2024, 23-year-old Riley Bryant and his father, Chuck Bryant, noticed something unusual in a vacant home. Riley described it as something that didn’t “look right on the floor in one of the back rooms.”
They also noted that “the window had been broken out” and later reattached, Riley explained. They reported their findings to local authorities, who removed the body and secured the area. At the time of the report, the coroner had not yet determined the body’s gender or cause of death.
Riley speculated that the individual had “torn down curtains” and stacked towels in a desperate attempt to keep warm, though it proved futile. He described the person’s actions as a testament to their determination to survive. Reflecting on the tragic situation, he remarked, “it only grows more heartbreaking.”
