Coroner using dental records, DNA to identify bodies found in Missoula basement – The Missoulian

A Missoula County coroner is still working to identify the bodies of a man and a woman found in the basement of a Missoula home on Aug. 17 during a murder investigation.

Multiple law enforcement sources working on the case say the condition of the bodies has made it difficult to officially identify them, and that dental records and DNA need to be used to ensure they are correctly named.

According to court documents filed in the case, the bodies were found in plastic tubs filled with chemicals. Tiffanie Pierce, 23, and 26-year-old Augustus Standingrock have been charged with deliberate homicide and accountability for deliberate homicide in the deaths.

Detective Capt. David Conway of the Missoula County Sheriffs Office, who is also the coroner in the case, says he is working with the Montana State Crime Lab to complete the identification as soon as possible.

I believe that I know who these people are, but must be certain before releasing the identities, he said. The families are patiently struggling with this. As you may expect, this is an incredibly difficult situation for them.

The lack of an official identification from the coroner has not stopped people from coming to their own conclusions, with a litany of condolence posts being made on social media about a man and a woman.

That pairs vehicle was found at the Weigh Station fishing access near Bonner the morning of Aug. 17, the same day officers searched the Strand Avenue home where the bodies were found.

After speaking with family members who say they have not yet told all of the family about the potential deaths the Missoulian has chosen not to print the names of the pair because a formal identification has not been made.

Court records say deputies found bloody clothing in plastic garbage bags in the water near the Bonner boat ramp the day they found the vehicle. A mans phone and wallet were found in the car, as was a womans phone, which was also covered in blood. The rest of the car did not have blood in it, and deputies determined that whatever injury had caused the bleeding did not occur in the vehicle.

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Coroner using dental records, DNA to identify bodies found in Missoula basement - The Missoulian