Human Remains Identified

Howell County Sheriff’s Office released a report on March 9 confirming that human remains were found on private property on State Route 17 near West Plains. 

In a press release on April 5, the agency confirmed the remains are those of Dustin Clark, 35, of West Plains. 

At press time, investigators with the Sheriff’s Office and West Plains Police Department await the results of an anthropological autopsy, which will be an examination of the bones. According to Undersheriff Justin Riley, the purpose of this autopsy is to evaluate the body for marks that may have been caused by, “weapons, tools, or anything else,” to help determine the cause of death. 

The body is believed to have been in the location of discovery for months. The Sheriff’s Office did not have an active missing persons report for Clark, nor had the department had any recent contact with him. Investigation continues