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Child Remains in Missoula Shed

  Hope these 3 children wound up in a safe and loving home with their mother and not in a box in a shed. Makes you wonder why they were left with their uncle in the first place.

  

Information on this page is from articles cited at the bottom of page and from the research of Jessica Velstra. It cannot be said with certainty that this box of bones represents a homicide(s) and certainly no one mentioned on this page is to be viewed as guilty of any crime. This research into the history of the property and its owners/tenants is to simply provide background and context around a puzzling development. We'd love to talk to anyone who used to live at this address, or their family members.

 

In September of 2017, a cleaning crew was hired to clean out a property at 2166 S 12th St W in  Missoula, Montana after an eviction of a tenant (Douglas Duane Labare) who had been living illegally on the property. Near the end of the month, the crew came across a cardboard box in a shed on the property that contained bones and teeth. The remains were found to be human and police executed a search warrant.

                                                                                  Video 

 

 

 Contents of the box: 

"Small pieces of jaw bones and multiple teeth were found in the box with rocks and other animal bones."

Bones are "modern" (less than 99 years old)

Remains belonged to three children, estimated ages 2-4, 5-8, and 6-10

The evidence was sent to the University of North Texas for DNA extractions and testing and will be entered in NamUs.

Per Aldo Fusaro, Deputy Medical Examiner for the state of Montana: "The probability of them getting enough DNA out of these bones to do their work is low..."

 

The Property:

The property is owned by one Leo Russell Kerr Jr who got it in 1990 from his aunt Mary Julia Pickett. Kerr now lives in Clarkdale, Arizona.


 The Tenants:

Dec 20, 2017: "Missoula investigators tell us they are continuing to interview people tied to the Missoula property.  Welsh says at this time detectives have more questions than answers."


Per Dec 16th article in Missoulian by :


-Labare said he served only as the property manager for the residence, and the caretaker for the prior owner.

-Labare told the Missoulian he had been a caretaker for his best friend, the former owner of the home until the man’s death, then stayed on and continued to live in his camper in the back yard to be a property manager when the owner’s son rented out the house.

-Two former residents of the home, who were evicted over the summer, told the Missoulian that since they moved into the house in early 2016 first Labare, and then the property management company had told them not to go into the sheds, saying it wasn’t included in what they were renting.

-The residents said they had paid their rent to Labare but later found none of that money ever made it to the owner, the issue they say led to a property management company being brought in and Labare being evicted from the premises. Labare said the former residents had never paid him.

-The former residents said it [surveillance camera] was placed to watch Labare’s camper.

-Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Det. Guy Baker at 406-396-3217.

"One neighbor who used to live in the neighborhood where the remains were found said there was never trouble at the home. "I never saw any police officers over there. Over the years children have been playing in the front yard," another neighbor said. "The tenants were dirty, it was unkempt, house yard was a mess. They seemed very withdrawn," someone else from the neighborhood said."


Residents who show up at this address per online sites:

Holly Adrignola (also known as Holly Jean Coe and Holly Davis)
T. Robinson, 
R.  Cook Coe 
Carolyne M. Coe
Diane S. Mickelson, Diane M. Mickelson
Leo Kerr (Leo Russell Kerr jr)
Ted Q. Davis
Edward Lee Davis
Andrina Juarez (Andrina Cahala)
Larry George Olson
Kimberly E. Shivers (Kimberly E Olson)
Milo Ronald Mettler
Bonnie Mettler (Bonnie Clark)
Marcella B Mettler
Randall S Mettler (Randy Mettler)
Lesa Ann Mettler
Shannon Clairmont (Shay Clarimount)
Carol Wilsonoff
Dan S.Wilsonoff
Green Pita (Pita Green?)
Arla Callinglast
 
The odd thing about this ad is that no contact info was provided. Guess one had to show up in person. Slightly ominous given the later findings.


The speculation:

One possible idea that has been discussed widely is that the remains may be those of the Skelton brothers.

Courtesy ABC13

"Michigan State Police have confirmed that they're in contact with Missoula authorities to determine whether the bones are related to the disappearance of three Morenci, Michigan boys. Tanner, Alexander and Andrew Skelton were ages 5, 7 and 9 at the time they were reported missing. The brothers were last seen on Thanksgiving weekend of 2010, according to 13 abc. They were with their father, John Skelton, who's currently serving a 15-year sentence of unlawful imprisonment. Skelton told Michigan investigators he gave the boys to an "underground sanctuary group" to be taken into hiding and has refused to disclose further information."

Jeremy Brewer, a Michigan State Police detective sergeant who is investigating the Skelton case, said that it will take months to attempt to obtain the DNA because of a backlog of cases.

The Skeltons’ mother, Tanya Zuvers, wrote on her Facebook page that she was following developments in the case. “We are processing it and hopeful that we will have answers soon,” she wrote. “We are thankful for all your thoughts and prayers.”

Per the Michigan State Police, the seven-year Skelton investigation never showed any connection to Montana. 
~~~
Could child molester and killer Joseph Edward Duncan III have had anything to do with this case?
~~~

There are 39 sex offenders who live within a 1 mile radius of this house.


Websleuths forum that discusses this case.

 

Links to the story: 

Person of interest no longer focus of children's bones investigation 

Person of interest ID'd as property manager of home where children's bones discovered 

Neighbors disturbed by remains in shed

Police investigate tie between Missoula bones and Michigan case

Scientists work to identify bones found in Missoula shed 

Skelton case: Police want to talk with Montana man 

Missoula Police searching for 'person of interest' after childrens' bones found in shed 

Missoula police investigate bones as homicide: COURT DOCS 

Skelton case: Police want to talk with Montana man 

 


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