By Staff Writer Dave Domezik
MONTEVALLOFollowing the discovery of human remains near Montevallo, under a charred pickup truck belonging to a man who was reported missing in mid-June, authorities have opened a death inquiry.
Oscar De Santiago Soto, 36, of Pelham, was last seen in Orr Park in Montevallo on Tuesday, June 18, at approximately 3:30 p.m. About forty-five minutes later, the Montevallo Police Department reported seeing his 1998 black Ford Ranger driving on Shelby County Road 73 close to County Road 8.
The 2000 block of Randolph Road in Montevallo became a site of interest throughout the course of the missing person inquiry. Less than a mile from where Soto’s truck was last seen, on Saturday, June 28, police officers found human remains and a burned-out car in the same area.
According to the authorities, John Wesley Collum, 56, of Montevallo, used a backhoe to dig a hole, bury Soto’s remains and car, and then set them on fire between June 18 and June 27. Then, according to court documents, he filled the hole with earth.
Collum is accused of tampering with physical evidence, abusing a corpse, and obstructing the prosecution. He is being jailed on a $36,000 bond at the moment. No murder charges have been brought against him.
Another guy listed in court documents is presently in federal jail, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, though it is unknown whether he has been charged. There could be more arrests in the future, ALEA officials added.
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences has been tasked with identifying the remains and establishing the cause of death. The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Auburn University helped with the recuperation.
Numerous authorities, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Montevallo Police Department, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the ALEA State Bureau of Investigation, are looking into this case.
The Bibb County District Attorney’s Office will analyze the investigation’s findings, according to ALEA.
