CHATEAUGAY, N.Y. -
Police announced at three 3 p.m. today that they had made a discovery in their search of
missing man Dale Jarvis Senior.
"Earlier this afternoon during that excavation we were able to locate human remains
buried behind the house," New York State Police Major Richard Smith said.
"At this time that excavation is continuing."
The remains have yet to be identified but were found buried underground in the
backyard an area now covered by a police tent. police had started looking there after a
witness told them that an area in the back had been disturbed earlier in the year.
"The method the body has been placed behind the house us led us to determine that
we're going to be conducting this investigation as a homicide investigation," Smith said.
Police do not have a suspect at this time. The remains are being removed from the
property so that an autopsy can be performed but the area will remain a crime scene
as forensics teams continue to search for clues about the remains. Members of Jarvis'
family stopped by intermittently throughout the day to get updates on the investigation.
"If this is the sister of the missing man my assumption is that she's probably concerned
for her missing brother and to the extent that we found a body on his property would
certainly be of interest to her," Smith said.
Members of Jarvis's family came trickling in throughout the afternoon and talked with
police officers behind the crime scene. Many of them were distraught after what police
had told them they found. A little before 6 p.m. police rolled out what appeared to be
remains in a body bag. The District Attorney said. That an autopsy is scheduled for
Saturday.
