Human remains found in Natchitoches Parish are 'presumed' identified as missing man | News

NATCHITOCHES, La. – The disappearance of a Natchitoches parish for two years is no longer a mystery.

Human remains found Friday morning were likely identified as Steven Burkett, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.

Deputies found the skeletal remains less than a mile from where Burkett was last seen on February 12, 2022. Burkett's disappearance has been the subject of an ongoing investigation and resulted extensive research in this area.

Detectives are remaining tight-lipped about the investigation, but say Natchitoches and Sabine Parish sheriff's detectives are aggressively pursuing leads in the case.

KTBS reporter Brittany Breeding brought attention to the case in March with a detailed report that included information from the sheriff's office that had not been previously released.

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright and Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell were on scene Friday along with Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Detectives, Sabine Parish Sheriff's Detectives, team members NPSO Dive Team and the North Sabine Parish Dive Team when they found the human skeletal remains in the water and on the outer banks of a private pond off Preston Hayes Road near Marthaville.

A point led to the pond. The search was conducted with the full cooperation and permission of the landowner, the sheriff said.

Detectives and members of the dive team were on scene throughout Friday afternoon, combing the shallow water of the pond and the outer banks for any additional evidence likely to assist in the investigation.

This was the first time detectives searched this private pond; however, other nearby ponds had been searched.

Natchitoches Parish Coroner Steven Clanton recovered the remains, which will be taken to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computing Enhancement Services Laboratory in Baton Rouge for positive identification and further analysis.

Clanton said, “It appears that the remains had been at this location for some years, and during the collection of the remains, evidence was discovered that leads us to presumptively believe that the remains are those of Mr. Steven W. Burkett .”

Sheriff's Detective Lt. Jonathan Byles said the recovery of the remains was made in an area about ¾ of a mile from where Natchitoches and Sabine detectives searched for Burkett over the past two years.

Burkett's family and friends were notified of the recovery Friday.

Byles previously told KTBS that Burkett was seen going to a nearby wooded area with two other people. Burkett was the only one not to come out.

Byles said the other two people went into the woods for a reason. There was a group of 18-wheel vans or trailers loaded with belongings, furniture, tools and other items belonging to someone who lived in Shreveport. Burkett and the others went “looting that property,” Byles said in March.

Burkett's disappearance was the subject of an extensive investigation and multiple searches on foot, by ATV and with cadaver dogs.

Burkett left behind a girlfriend, an ex-wife, a son and a daughter.

“Our detectives, with the help of Sabine Parish detectives, have been tirelessly investigating this and other missing persons cases from the very beginning. We are following leads, facts and evidence wherever possible. “Our detectives and Sabine Parish detectives continue to aggressively pursue rapidly developing leads in this case and we hope to bring closure to this victim's family,” Wright said.