Decomposed human remains found in 40-foot well at sewage plant near missing Texas student's apartment

Decomposed human remains were found Monday in a 40-foot well at a wastewater treatment plant near the building where a Texas college student went missing, authorities said.

Police are investigating whether the remains belong to Caleb Harris, 21, who disappeared four months ago during a nighttime walk in Corpus Christi.

The unidentified body was discovered around 3:30 p.m. by municipal officers at a sewage lifting station, according to police.

The remains “bear no obvious signs of homicide,” police said, but due to their state of decomposition, the medical examiner could not determine identification or manner of death.

Harris, a student at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, disappeared from his apartment building before dawn on March 4.

He sent a photo via Snapchat to a friend around 3 a.m., showing him walking near a small bridge over a drainage ditch near the entrance to his apartment, police previously said.

He was reported missing by his roommate the next morning after an UberEats order he placed around 3:20 a.m. was left outside his door, according to law enforcement.

Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle told WOAI it could take four to six weeks before the body is identified.

“A lot of people are looking for closure, a lot of people are looking for quick answers,” he told the station.

The body was found in a well about 40 feet deep and filled with sewage, KIIITV reported. The collection point had to be emptied before the body was recovered by first responders in hazmat suits.

The remains are being sent to the University of North Texas Human Identification Center to be identified through DNA analysis, police said.

“At that time we will know whether to close existing cases or open a new one, or whether there is foul play,” Chief Markle told WOAI.