Remains Found Near Mooresville Water Tower Identified By DNA

MOORESVILLE, NC — A homicide investigation is underway in Iredell County following the positive identification of skeletal remains found earlier this year in a wooded area near a water tower near Interstate 77, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

The remains were discovered Jan. 15 in a wooded area off Bridgewater Lane in Mooresville. At the time of their discovery, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office investigators confirmed the remains were human but did not release information about how the person died or how long the remains had been in the location.

In the months since the discovery, the investigation into the identity of the found body has involved academics, law enforcement and medical personnel in at least two states, according to the sheriff’s office.

After a inital two-day investigation at the site, detectives collected the bones and sent them to North Carolina Baptist hospital for an autopsy.

“The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head,” ICSO said in a statement. “Due to the limited number bones located, and the amount of time the remains appeared to have been exposed to the elements, the race, age and gender could not be immediately determined.”

SEE ALSO: Human Remains Found Near Mooresville Water Tower: Reports

Following the autopsy, the bones were then sent to North Carolina State University, where a forensic dentist and forensic anthropologist studied them for about 10 months. During that same time period, Iredell detectives searched missing persons reports for possible leads.

In October, analysis of DNA material extracted from a found tooth performed at the University of Northern Texas Center for Human Identification confirmed the body was that of Anastasia Talisha Meaders, who was reported missing in Charlotte in 2016.

Meaders, who went by the nickname “Star,” was 29 at the time she went missing, and had last been seen alive in June 2016, ICSO said.

Around the same time of her disappearance, her black 2007 Chevrolet Impala was found abandoned at Liberty Park, which is a few miles away from the area where her remains were located.

Detectives now say the missing person case has turned into a murder investigation, and they are now searching for information related to identifying the person who gave the suspect a ride after leaving Meaders’ car in Liberty Park.

“The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office is resolved to identifying the person responsible for Meaders homicide, and is committed to bringing her killer to justice,” ICSO said.

Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said that anyone with information about this case is asked to contact their office at 704-878-3180, or call the Homicide Hotline at 704-928-9804.