CLINTON, IN – A missing person case in Vermillion County has turned into a homicide investigation, leading to the arrest of a 20-year-old Clinton man, according to the Indiana State Police.
Detectives from the ISP Putnamville Post began investigating after a missing person report was filed on October 5.
During the course of the inquiry, investigators uncovered evidence indicating the individual had been murdered.
“The shape and appearance of the bones would lead one to believe that they perhaps were human bones. Particularly indicative of a human bone was one bone which appeared to be that of a human spinal cord,” a police report read.
On Tuesday, troopers arrested Nicholas Yates without incident. He is now being held at the Vermillion County Jail on a charge of murder.
Victim’s identity pending confirmation
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name, pending a positive identification by the Vermillion County Coroner’s Office. That process could take several weeks, officials said.
Multiple agencies assist investigation
The investigation is being led by ISP Detectives Colton Maynor, Don Curtis, James Crisp, and CSI Sergeant Tim Rader, with assistance from the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers, and the county coroner.
State police emphasized that the case remains active and ongoing, and no further details have been released.
A quiet Clinton neighborhood is now the focus of a murder probe that began as a search for a missing person.