Indiana man suspected in teen Valerie Tindall's murder, allegedly admits to burying her in backyard

After finding of human remains buried on his property, a 59-year-old man from Arlington has been charged with murder in relation to the disappearance of a 17-year-old neighbor back in June.

Patrick Scott appeared in Rush County Circuit Court for an initial hearing, where he also faced charges of obstruction of justice and false informing. He was subsequently ordered to be detained without bond. A public defender has been assigned to represent him.

Valerie Tindall, the missing teenager, had informed her parents on June 7 that she was going to work for Scott, who ran a lawn mowing business. It was revealed in court documents that Tindall had met with Scott, who drove her back to his home during the early afternoon. Arlington, located around 30 miles southeast of Indianapolis, was the site of the reported disappearance.

On October 11th, dogs trained to detect cadavers detected the scent of decomposition in a pond near Scott's property. However, a search of the area did not yield any findings. A dog handler informed the police that water can trap odors, suggesting that the smell could have originated from runoff into the pond.

On Tuesday, the police discovered a large pile of dirt and debris on Scott's property. Upon using shovels to dig, they uncovered a rectangular box wrapped in tarp. Inside the box, human remains were found, including fingernails painted with orange polish, according to documents.

The police noted that a photo shared on social media on June 7th displayed Tindall with nails painted in orange.

According to Sheriff Allan Rice, it is likely that the remains belong to Tindall. He added that while this outcome is not what they had hoped for, the case is far from concluded. He reassured the public that justice will be pursued.

According to court documents, Scott was taken into custody on Tuesday and informed investigators that he used his belt to strangle Tindall in his bedroom when she attempted to blackmail and seduce him.

Shena Sandefur shared with WRTV-TV that her daughter had been employed by Scott and that their family had complete trust in him.

They had a strong connection and considered each other friends, Sandefur said. While she worked for him, they also spent time together with his family. His granddaughter was her friend, and we even went out together.