Indiana man arrested after remains believed to be of missing teen found on his property

RUSHVILLE, Ind. (WNDU) – Police in eastern Indiana say a man was arrested for murder after remains were found in the search for a missing teenage girl.

According to our sister station WTHR, investigators executed more than 50 search warrants in an effort to locate 17-year-old Valerie Tindall, who went missing back in June.

On Tuesday, police said a body was discovered buried on the property of Patrick Scott in Arlington, which is located in Rush County. Scott was arrested on a preliminary charge of murder.

The remains found are pending positive identification.

“This is not the outcome we had hoped for,” said Rush County Sheriff Allan Rice. “This case is still under investigation to ensure those responsible are successfully prosecuted.”

Police said there is no information pointing to any other people being involved in Tindall’s disappearance. They said information they gathered in recent months led them to Scott’s property.

A statewide Silver Alert was issued for Tindall on June 10, three days after she was last seen in Arlington, which is northwest of Rushville.

Two months after her disappearance on Aug. 9, the Rush County Sheriff’s Department said investigators “believe it is possible that Valerie has been receiving aid from individual(s) whose goal is to keep her hidden.”

It was later revealed police located Tindall’s car at a complex where Scott did work, according to local reports.

“My daughter didn’t deserve this,” said Shena Sandefur, Tindall’s mother. “We just want answers right now. We just want answers as to why.”

Sandefur said Scott and his wife tried to reassure them after Tindall’s disappearance that she probably ran away and would come home. She said the families were friends and that Tindall was friends with Scott’s granddaughter.

Sandefur said she was sure her daughter would have come home for her sister’s graduation or then for her 18th birthday on Aug. 29.

“There’s gonna be a hole there forever,” Sandefur said.

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