A Body Was Found at a Missing Woman’s Home — and Now Her Son and Daughter-in-Law Are in Custody

Unidentified human remains were found in a makeshift backyard “grave” at the home of an elderly Mississippi woman who had gone missing — and now her son and daughter-in-law are charged in connection with the case, authorities said.

On Monday, Dec. 22, the Jackson Police Department put out a missing persons alert for Carol Ryan, 81, after a family member reported that she had not been heard from for several months.

The man who reported her missing said Carol Ryan was supposed to be at a nursing home in Brandon but that he had not been able to locate her, police said in the announcement.

On Monday night, Jackson police obtained a search warrant for Carol Ryan’s home, Chief Tyree Jones told reporters at the scene on Tuesday, Dec. 23, according to a video of his announcement on Facebook.

Jones told reporters that evidence led investigators to bring in excavators and other machinery, which then led to the discovery of “unidentified human remains that were buried in this backyard,” he said.

He said the remains were wrapped in a tarp and buried in a grave that was six to eight feet deep and contained concrete, the Clarion-Ledger reports.

Authorities believe Carol Ryan may have disappeared from the home, where she lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Jones said.

The body had allegedly been buried in the backyard “long before” Carol Ryan was reported missing, Jones said.

On Wednesday, Dec. 24, the Jackson Police Department issued a press release saying that John Ryan, 50, and his wife, Samantha Ryan, 48, had been arrested and charged with desecration of a human corpse, the Clarion Ledger reports.

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Carol Ryan will continue to be classified as a missing person until the remains they unearthed are conclusively identified, Jones said on Dec. 23.

John Ryan is being held on a $100,000 bond and Samantha Ryan is being held on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records.

More charges are possible, Jones said.

It is unclear whether the suspects have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.

The Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for information.