Skeletal remains identified as Ira Briscoe

A mother’s heart wrenching search for her son is over. On March 18, Howell County Sheriff Matt Roberts confirmed that one set of skeletal remains discovered six months ago is the body of Ira Briscoe. Two skeletons were discovered on August 10 in the Lanton, Mo. area. The remains were found four miles from where Briscoe, and Limon Little, lived when they disappeared in December 2020.

 

The Sheriff's office learned from a forensic scientist at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab in Springfield that there is a 99.9999999999% likelihood the recovered remains are the biological child of Rodney and Marilyn Briscoe, according to a release.

 

Shortly after receiving the news, Sheriff Roberts traveled to the Briscoe residence to break the news.

 

In an interview, Roberts confirmed the case will continue as a homicide investigation.

 

“We were already working it as a homicide based on how we found the remains,” Sheriff Roberts said. “The way the remains were discovered – it could not have been an accident.”

 

Law enforcement is not releasing the names of any suspects at this time.

 

The other human remains located at the same location have not been identified. These remains will be submitted to a private laboratory for further DNA testing. Sheriff Roberts contacted the next of kin to Limon Little to advise her of the current status of the case.

 

Briscoe’s mother, Marilyn, conducted a tireless search for her son, telling Howell County News in February, “Someone out there knows something. This isn’t something that someone can hide for forever, especially in a small town. Someone out there is living next to the person that did this to my son. Someone knows the truth. We are just asking, that they come forward and tell what they know.”

 

The News reached out to Mrs. Briscoe last week, but she has nothing further to add at this time.