In response to news coverage of an unidentified body found by fishermen in the Trinity River on August 31st. the parents of a missing man, who’s son had not been heard from since August 26th, contacted the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department on September 1st. and made a “missing person” report on their son, James Allen Graves, age 35 years old 6’-0”, 140 lbs. According to the parents of Mr. James Graves, who lives just off FM 1409 in South Liberty County, they had talked to their son, by cell phone, at approximately 11:15 pm on August 26th. but have had no contact with him since that time.
After hearing the news report of the remains found in the river, the family went to a location up river from where the body was found and located their son’s Jeep vehicle stuck in the sand of a sandbar. It was brought home and later searched by Sgt. Investigators Chris Ungles and Paul Lasco who are also working the unidentified remains case for any possible connection between the two. The search of the vehicle did nothing to confirm a connection between the two cases.
The autopsy and DNA analysis are underway at this time on the remains found in the Trinity river and the Sheriff’s Department wants to STRESS there is NO definitive correlation between the missing person, James Allen Graves and the remains found in the river, thus, no firm conclusion can be reached until such DNA test are finalized.
Obviously, there are several unanswered questions on both cases. Therefore, the investigation is continuing by the Sheriff’s Department and both Sgt. Ungles and Sgt. Lasco continue to solicit information from the public regarding any aspect of the two cases.
Needless to say, we will update both cases as the investigation progresses and as the results of the autopsy and DNA analysis are known.
You don’t make a missing persons’ report until a body is found? Seriously? Did I read that right?