JOPLIN, Mo. — Newton County authorities say an autopsy did not determine the cause of death or the identity of a body discovered southwest of Joplin.
The body was found Tuesday after deputies acting on a tip were shot at when they arrived to search the property. A standoff ensued with 47-year-old Freddie Tilton, who is facing a kidnapping charge in an unrelated incident in Neosho on July 19.
Tilton eventually surrendered. No one was injured.
Sheriff Chris Jennings said the remains will be sent to a lab in Topeka, Kansas, for further forensic examination.
He says authorities believe they know the person’s identity and are treating the case as a homicide.
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