Missing Pelham Man Found Dead in Montevallo, Where Man is Charged With Corpse Abuse
A man who has been missing from Pelham for several weeks has been discovered dead in Montevallo, Alabama, where a man has been charged with a series of crimes in addition to corpse abuse.
Corporal Regional King, a spokesperson for the Alabama State Troopers in our region, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency got involved with finding 36-year-old Oscar De Santiago Soto at the request of the Bibb County Sheriff's Office.
Soto has been missing since June 18th, and King said the sheriff's office requested state assistance about 10 days into their own search.
With the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation lending aid, detectives began looking in an area of Montevallo called Randolph Road.
Trooper King said police found unidentified human remains and a vehicle on site, and an autopsy is scheduled to confirm that they belong to the missing man.
A Montevallo man has also been arrested in connection with this investigation, King said.
"At the time, John Wesley Collum, 56, of Montevallo, was charged with First-Degree Hindering Prosecution, Abuse of a Corpse, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Additional arrests may be forthcoming," King said.
Corporal King said the ALEA SBI was also working with the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montevallo Police Department.
He also credited the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Auburn University, whose affiliates reportedly assisted in the recovery of the human remains.
No other information was available on Friday afternoon.
Top Stories from the Tuscaloosa Thread (6/23 - 6/30)
Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)