A 59-year-old man from Arlington, Patrick Scott, is facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance of a 17-year-old neighbor, Valerie Tindall, last June. The charges were filed after human remains were discovered buried in a pit on Scott’s property in central Indiana.
During an initial hearing in Rush County Circuit Court on Thursday, Scott was also charged with obstruction of justice and providing false information. He was ordered to be held without bond, and a public defender has been assigned to represent him.
Valerie Tindall had informed her parents on June 7 that she was going to work for Scott, who owned a lawn mowing business. Court documents revealed that Tindall met Scott that day, and he drove her back to his home in Arlington. The town is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
Tindall was reported missing later in June. On October 11, cadaver-sniffing dogs detected the scent of decomposition near a pond on Scott’s property, but a subsequent search yielded no results. A dog handler suggested that water might hold odors, and the scent could have originated from runoff into the pond.
On Tuesday, police discovered a large dirt pile and debris on Scott’s property. Upon using shovels to investigate, they unearthed a rectangular box wrapped in tarp containing human remains, including fingernails painted with orange polish. A photo from social media on June 7 depicted Tindall with orange-colored nails.
Authorities reached out to Rush County Coroner for confirmation of the identity of the remains as those of Tindall, but no response has been received from the office.
Sheriff Allan Rice informed reporters that the remains likely belong to Tindall. He emphasized that while the outcome is not what they had hoped for, the case is far from over, and justice will be sought.
Scott was arrested on Tuesday, and according to court documents, he confessed to investigators that he had strangled Tindall with his belt in the bedroom of his home. Scott claimed that Tindall had attempted to blackmail and seduce him.
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Shena Sandefur, Tindall’s mother, shared that her daughter worked for Scott, and the family trusted him. Sandefur described a bond between Tindall and Scott, noting that they were friends, and Tindall often spent time with Scott’s family, including his granddaughter.