Tammy Curtis, Publisher

Two sets of human skeletal remains were located in a cistern in the rural Lanton, Mo. area on Sat. Aug. 10. The remains were exhumed by Howell County law enforcement on Aug. 15.  The remains are believed to be those of two men who have been missing since Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, 2020, from the Lanton area, Ira Briscoe and his roommate, Limon Little.

DNA analysis or dental records will provide the ultimate identification of the remains. One of the two skull bones contained a metal jaw plate with a serial number stamped into the plate. Briscoe’s family confirmed he had undergone surgery to his jaw at Mercy Hospital in Springfield before going missing … another indicator that one of the sets of remains is likely Briscoe’s. 

A DNA test was also obtained from Briscoe’s mother, Marilyn, for comparison. The results are pending. Based on the information received from a confidential informant to Fulton County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigator Dale Weaver and Sharp County Deputy Colton Wilson, working on the case during his off days, it is highly likely the results will return that the remains belong to the men. 

Weaver became involved with the case early-on when the Briscoe family filed a report with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department as Fulton County borders Howell County. They had also filed a missing persons report in Howell County, Mo. “We got started on it and ended up with it. We didn’t know where the homicide occurred. It was rumored to have happened in Arkansas and Missouri, and then it was thought that they may have been killed in Missouri and disposed of in Arkansas. We had been looking in the state of Arkansas and in Fulton County,” Weaver explained. 

He spent countless hours working on the case in an attempt to give the families closure. Weaver explained that he had visited with the family, interviewed many witnesses and spoken with family members and friends multiple times during the last three and a half years.  

A few months ago, Wilson sat in on an interview with Weaver and a potential witness in the case. Several months prior, Wilson had also gained knowledge from locals and was familiar with the case. He began assisting Weaver on his days off with attempts to locate what they believed would be the bodies of the two missing men. Wilson said he just wanted to help find the men for the families and provide them some peace.

Howell County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies initially searched an area near Briscoe’s home shortly after the men’s disappearances, but the case went cold. Briscoe’s mother has continually pled since the men’s disappearance with the public for help locating her son and Little. She has received numerous tips through her social media.

Weaver explained breaks in the case. A few months ago, he interviewed a person of interest, who was allegedly associated with witnesses in the case. The person provided him with the general location of where the bodies were allegedly placed. At that time, as in times past, all tips and leads Weaver received were also provided to Howell County authorities. They searched the area but still were not successful in locating any remains.  Weaver said Howell County planned to continue with a more extensive search that involved a larger area. Howell County Investigator Torey Thompson also conducted a search after being made aware of the possible location of the remains by Weaver.

A few months later, a confidential informant (CI) provided Weaver with what he felt was credible information on the alleged location of Briscoe and Little’s remains. Weaver contacted authorities in Howell County, and the CI led Weaver and Sheriff Jake Smith to the approximate location where he said they would find them. While a precise area wasn’t provided, it helped narrow down the general location for the search. 

During this time, Wilson also used the information he had gained from interviews with people with alleged knowledge of the crime. Combined with the information from Weaver’s confidential informant, Wilson and Weaver began to search in the proximity taking details given by the CI into to consideration. 

The remains were found about four miles from Briscoe’s home, which is no longer standing. Weaver said Wilson obtained Google Surface Maps and found an area where a well or cistern appeared. From the beginning, tips and leads in the case had all said the missing men were placed in a well or cistern. 

After searching the area for hours, Wilson finally located a depressed area in the earth that appeared as the CI had described. According to Wilson, after peering into the approximately 12-14 foot-deep cistern, he saw what appeared to be two human forms wrapped in either silver tarps or duct tape. Wilson then called Weaver, and Weaver, in turn, called Howell County Investigator Torey Thompson. The men all went to the scene late in the afternoon of Aug. 10.

With the assistance of a fire pole extended to a longer length they pulled a piece of the tarp to the surface. It contained what appeared to be a radius and ulna forearm bone. Also visible from the cistern were what appeared to be ribs and hip bones. Howell County law enforcement secured the crime scene 24/7 until Wed., Aug. 14 when the bodies could be retrieved.

At that time, law enforcement decided to repel into the cistern and retrieve the remains rather than excavate the area for fear rock could crush the remains and destroy potential evidence. 

Weaver said many agencies were on the scene Wednesday during the retrieval process. The Howell County Sheriff’s Department issued a public release on Aug. 15 thanking those who assisted in the retrieval including the Missouri Highway Patrol, West Plains Police Department, South County EMS, Southeast Missouri State University Anthropology Department, and investigators with deputies from Fulton County and Sharp County, Arkansas. The Howell County Sheriff’s Department said in their release the remains will first be sent for autopsies and then DNA analysis for identification. 

Deputy Wilson also dedicated many hours attempting to find the remains. He was able to make contact with many locals, who readily provided information about the missing men and wanted closure for the families. Some of Briscoe’s friends were also very helpful in the investigation, by providing information and searching different areas for the remains during the past three and a half years.

Weaver said that while law enforcement must await the findings, he believes that the bodies belong to the men.

Weaver has a reputation for sticking to cases, often for years. He has made a name for himself and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department by solving several cold cases and providing closure for families after years or decades of uncertainty about their loved ones. He also praised Deputy Wilson for devoting and donating his time and efforts in assisting him, which will bring closure to the victims’ families. 

The Howell County Sheriff’s Department contacted Weaver and Wilson and thanked them, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, and the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in this cold case.

Little would have been 53 this year. Briscoe’s mother, Marilyn, asks that the public respect the family’s privacy until the DNA results are confirmed and that any information about the case that has not been reported previously be turned over to the Howell County Sheriff’s Department in West Plains, Mo. Briscoe would be 29 this year. The Missouri Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. 

This news agency will follow up once the DNA results are confirmed and publish articles regarding the crime, as well as when and if arrests are made.