Human remains were found in a wooded area off of Johnson Chute Road near Natchitoches according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.
Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies and members of the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office responded to a 911 call of possible human remains discovered by loggers in a thick wooded area off of Johnson Chute Road near Natchitoches on July 18 at 2:29 pm.
Detectives assigned to the NPSO Criminal Investigations Division were notified and responded .
Natchitoches Parish Deputy Asst. Coroner Steven Clanton confirmed the remains as human.
According to Asst. Coroner Clanton it appears the remains had been in the area for several months.
Chief of Patrols Doug Rachal said deputies and the coroner’s office searched the area for approximately two hours this afternoon looking for any evidence or clues to identify the remains or manner of death.
The remains will be transported by the coroner’s office to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Lab in Baton Rouge for DNA analysis and further forensic testing for identification.
Chief of Investigations Greg Dunn said the remains were found approximately 1-mile west of La. Hwy 1 in a wooded area.
This area is in close proximity where deputies and volunteers searched the area by ground, air and water on three separate occasions during the early part of this year for Donnie Collins Jr., 44, of Natchitoches who was reported missing by family members on December 11, 2018.
At this time the remains discovered this afternoon have not been identified.
Laboratory analysis testing will have to be completed before a positive identification can be made.
We will update the public and media as this information becomes available.
Detectives did speak with Collins family this afternoon notifying them of the findings.
If the remains are Donnie at least the family can now close this out and put him to rest RIP.
It’s possible this person just got lost in the woods. Maybe it was in winter and she or he succumbed to hypothermia. Until a forensic anthropologist (like the lady Temperance from TV show “Bones”) analyzes the remains, no one even knows the person’s gender yet.
My sympathies go out to the Collins family, whether or not this is Donnie. The grief of not knowing where your loved one is or what happened can be just as bad as grief after an actual death.
Best little town in the south .