The decomposing human remains found Monday on the side of an isolated Pike County road were those of a man who had been missing for months, according to a news release from the office of Sheriff Charles Reader. Fingerprint records identified the remains as those of 36-year-old Pike County resident Shane Wells, who was reported missing Feb. 19.
He had actually been gone longer than that, according to the release — the last known sighting of Wells alive was Dec. 9, 2018.
Mushroom foragers found Wells' remains sealed in a bag in a wooded area off of Trego Road, according to the news release. Ohio BCI officials assisted the Pike County Coroner and deputies in processing the scene, collecting evidence and analyzing Wells' fingerprints to positively identify him.
Authorities did not release information about the apparent cause of the man's death.
Anyone with information about the circumstances of Wells' death or his whereabouts between the date he was last seen and Monday should call the Pike County Sheriff's Office at 740-947-2111.
