Body Parts Discovered In Freezer Confirmed To Be Remains Of 16-Year-Old Girl Missing Since 2005

Police have confirmed that the human remains found inside a freezer at a home in Colorado belonged to a 16-year-old girl.

Back in January this year, body parts were discovered inside a freezer at a residence located in Grand Junction, Colorado. This discovery prompted an investigation by law enforcement.

On October 11, authorities provided an update, stating that the body parts had been identified as those of a teenager. The girl was last known to be alive almost 20 years ago, although she had never officially been reported as missing.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office detailed that it responded to a call regarding a 'suspicious incident' on January 12.

When deputies arrived at the 2900 block of Pinyon Avenue, they discovered that 'the head and hands of a human had been found inside a freezer.'

This was revealed by someone who had come to collect the appliance after the new owner of the recently sold home had offered it up for free.

The 16-year-old was last seen in 2005 YouTube/ ABC 7 Chicago

The discovery led to an investigation, and after nine months, the Mesa County Coroner's Office identified the victim through DNA testing.

The remains were confirmed to belong to Amanda Leariel Overstreet.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office stated: "Amanda is believed to have been approximately 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. Overstreet has not been seen or heard from since April 2005.

"Amanda Overstreet was the biological daughter of the previous owner of the home.

"The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain under investigation, as well as ongoing forensic testing of evidence. There is no record that Amanda Overstreet was ever reported missing."

According to a statement from the coroner's office posted on Facebook, the 'remainder' of Amanda's body has yet to be 'recovered.'

The case is now being treated as an 'active investigation' for homicide, but no further details are available at this time.

Mesa County Sheriff's Office public information officer, Wendy Likes, has urged the public to give authorities 'some time and some grace to figure out what happened.'

In a statement to CPR News, she explained: "We still have a lot of forensic testing that we need to do on evidence and a lot of interviews still to complete."

"[...] We want to do the best job for her. A child went missing and there's no record that anyone reported her missing, and that's very sad. So we want to be sure that it's a thorough investigation, that we get all the details and the facts right."

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has 'emphasized' that the house involved in this case is now 'under new ownership and completely unrelated to the previous case.'

They have requested that people 'respect the privacy of the current owner and their neighbors by avoiding the area and refraining from taking photos of the home.'