Deputies: Remains found in Clay County backyard

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Detectives with the Clay County Sheriff's Office found human remains Wednesday in the backyard of a home in the Lake Asbury area.

The Sheriff's Office said Janell Adams, who was born in April 1935, has been missing, and the remains were found in the backyard of her former home, on Creekfront Drive in the Silver Creek subdivision.

Deputies said the remains have been taken to the medical examiner in Jacksonville for analysis. It has not been confirmed that the remains are those of Janell Adams.

Department of Corrections photo of Brian Adams

Her son, 55-year-old Brian Adams (pictured), is in law enforcement custody in Columbus County, North Carolina. He was picked up for an outstanding warrant for violating probation out of Baker County. The probation stemmed from a possession of methamphetamine charge.

Deputies said information obtained by the North Carolina law enforcement agency suggested Brian Adams had illegally buried Janell Adams in the backyard of the Lake Asbury home.

"The individual that the out-of-state law enforcement agency has in custody has indicated that he's the one responsible for the illegal burial," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said. "We are trying to determine if the cause of death was natural or as a result of homicide, but the suspect who was responsible for this burial is in custody in another state."

Deputies said Brian Adams has not been charged with a crime in Clay County, and there are no warrants for him. He said he intends to fight extradition back to Baker County, so the Baker County Sheriff's Office will seek a governor's warrant from North Carolina.

The home where the remains were found was sold more than a year ago, and the investigation does not involve the current residents or owners, deputies said.

One man who used to live across the street from the home said an elderly woman and two men used to live at the house. He said that he now wishes that when those two men moved out, he had asked more questions.

"I didn't see her for a while, and I saw them loading up vehicles," Jamie Wyatt said. "I went over and asked about her to see if she was alright. He told me she was in a nursing home up in Georgia. That was the last I saw of them. They just kind of disappeared."

Wyatt said that he thinks Janell Adams had some form of dementia.

Neighbors said the investigation began days ago when detectives started asking questions in the neighborhood. The digging in the backyard started Wednesday.

Staff from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were at the home as well, assisting with the investigation.