A Texas couple, December Marie Mitchell and Jonathan James Mitchell, are facing charges after their 26-year-old autistic son, Jonathan Kinman, was found dead and buried in their backyard. The couple initially claimed that their son had died in a hospital, but investigators found no records to substantiate this claim.
The couple was arrested following a welfare check on their son on October 14. During the check, December Mitchell informed the police that she had taken her son to a local hospital where he had died. However, she did not provide any specific details about the date or cause of his death. She also claimed that they had no medical documentation of his death as they had chosen to have him cremated.
Authorities attempted to verify the mother’s claims by checking hospital and medical examiner’s records, but found no evidence of Kinman’s death. On the same day, Jonathan Mitchell, Kinman’s stepfather, posted a vague message on Facebook hinting at his stepson’s passing.
In a surprising turn of events, Jonathan Mitchell contacted the police later that day, stating that he had discovered his stepson was actually buried in their backyard. The following day, local police and Texas Rangers discovered Kinman’s body wrapped in a camouflage blanket in a shallow grave in the couple’s backyard.
According to the arrest affidavit, December Mitchell had confided in a neighbor about burying her son in the backyard. The neighbor threatened to call the police if the couple did not, prompting Jonathan Mitchell to contact the authorities.
While the police were searching the home with a K9 unit, December Mitchell reportedly began to panic, telling her husband that the dog was going to find their son. Neighbors expressed shock, stating that they were unaware of Kinman’s existence as the couple only ever mentioned their daughter and grandchild.
The couple was arrested and charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse. They are currently being held in the Johnson County Jail on a $250,000 bond each. The cause of Kinman’s death has not yet been determined, and his body has been sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.