Bone fragments found in Wheatfield, Indiana backyard after someone reportedly killed and cremated children

WHEATFIELD, Ind. (CBS) – Authorities on Tuesday analyzed bone fragments found in a backyard in Indiana after authorities received a report that someone had killed two children and burned their bodies in a backyard fire pit.

In a joint statement, Sheriff Patrick Williamson of Jasper County, Indiana, and Coroner Andy Boersma said the sheriff's office received a report on Friday morning, September 20, that someone they knew had confessed to killing two of their children and their bodies to have cremated the fire pit at her home in Wheatfield, Indiana. The press release referred to the children as “undocumented,” but did not elaborate on what they meant by the term.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office began investigating. That same day, investigators found at least one suspect at a hotel in neighboring Newton County who denied any involvement in the alleged crime – but his cellphones were seized as evidence.

New information was obtained from the cell phones and investigators were again searching for the suspect or suspects, the sheriff's office said. Another child in the custody of the suspect(s) was taken into protective custody by the Indiana Department of Child Services, the sheriff's office said.

On Monday morning of this week, Jasper County Sheriff's detectives and members of other law enforcement agencies used two cadaver dogs to search a home in the 4200 block of Old Orchard Lane in Wheatfield. The current residents and the homeowner cooperated in the search, the sheriff's office said.

The cadaver dogs located three different locations where bone fragments were sometimes found, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators used shovels to break up the soil on the side of the home on Old Orchard Lane. They were seen collecting dirt samples and searching the fire pit in the backyard.

“I just saw some shovels. I saw a sifting tool. They poured the dirt in and picked things out,” said a neighbor. “I couldn’t see what they were actually putting in evidence bags. It's a nightmare. I was very afraid of it.”

On Tuesday, the bone fragments went to a specialist in Indianapolis for analysis to determine whether they came from an infant or an animal.

The results have left many in the neighborhood stunned.

“It's a nightmare, I'm very scared of it,” said neighbor Monica Prentice. “I'm a mother, so it's heartbreaking to know that children may be discovered there.”

“Who would bury children in their backyard?” said neighbor Katie Hudspath. “It’s unreal.”

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to call the Jasper County Sheriff's Office at 219-866-7334.

Wheatfield, Indiana is about an hour and a half southeast of Chicago.