ARLINGTON, IN – In a shocking turn of events, an Indiana man, Patrick Scott, has been slapped with murder charges in connection with the unexplained disappearance of his 17-year-old neighbor, Valerie Tindall. Tindall, who was last seen alive on June 7, had told her parents of her plans to work for Scott, who ran a local lawn mowing business.
Cadaver-sniffing dogs led the police to human remains buried near Scott’s property, hinting at a grim turn in the teenager’s disappearance. Scott, aged 59, was subsequently charged with murder following the discovery of the remains on his premises in central Indiana.
Scott was brought before the Rush County Circuit Court for his preliminary hearing on Thursday. He now faces charges of murder, obstruction of justice, and false informing. The court has ordered Scott’s detention without bond, and a public defender has been appointed to represent him.
According to court records, Tindall had planned to work for Scott’s lawn mowing business on the day she disappeared. Scott had reportedly picked her up early that afternoon and driven her to his residence.
On October 11, cadaver-sniffing dogs detected the scent of decomposition near a pond on Scott’s property, but a thorough search turned up nothing. However, on Tuesday, police discovered a large mound of dirt and debris on Scott’s premises. Excavation revealed a rectangular box wrapped in a tarp, inside of which were human remains, including fingernails painted with orange polish – a detail matching a social media post of Tindall from June 7.
Sheriff Allan Rice expressed to reporters that the remains are likely those of Tindall. “This is not the outcome we had all hoped for, but I want to stress to the public that this case is far from over,” Rice said. “Justice will be sought.”
Scott was taken into custody on Tuesday and, per court documents, admitted to strangling Tindall with his belt in his home when she allegedly tried to blackmail and seduce him.