From The Trussville Tribune Staff Reports
BIRMINGHAM – Human remains found on Saturday have now been identified.
Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates has identified the remains as Duston “Dusty” Turner, 39, and Jennifer Phillips, 30. Yates said they were both identified through fingerprints.
Authorities tell al.com they haven’t identified the cause of death at this time, but foul play is suspected.
Just before 4:30 Saturday Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of the discovery of possible human remains.
The reported location was a shallow grave near the town of West Jefferson, and the remains were found in a wooded area off of Oakdale Road near the Miller Steam Plant.
Volunteers who were assisting family members to search for a missing couple from Walker County found the remains. The pair said they were somewhat familiar with the area, but had been provided a map by Walker County Sheriff’s Investigators that indicated the areas where the missing couple’s cell phones were last used. They were walking in the area and found the remains in the woods.
Once on the scene, officers found one set of partially buried human remains in a shallow grave, and also found an area of disturbed earth adjacent to it, which is believed to be a second shallow grave.