After a month-long search for Texas A&M student Caleb Harris, 21, authorities found human remains at a wastewater facility.
His roommates could not locate him after he walked his dog early in the morning. His family reported him missing early March, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department. (RELATED: Riley Strain’s Body Discovered In Cumberland River, Police Say)
Randy Harris, Caleb’s father, told ABC Corpus Christi affiliate KIII that his dog returned home without him.
The Corpus Christi Police Department shared on Facebook that city workers conducting maintenance at a wastewater lift discovered human remains in a well and notified the police.
The remains did not show any “obvious signs of homicide” but were transported to the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination, authorities said.
The medical examiner was unable to determine the manner of death or identify the remains as Caleb Harris due to its “advanced state of decomposition” authorities said Wednesday.
After a monthslong search, remains found at a wastewater facility in Texas are believed to be missing college student Caleb Harris, according to authorities. https://t.co/dXSN5KE7iy
— ABC News (@ABC) July 18, 2024
DNA samples were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) along with the Harris parent’s DNA for analysis.
The remains were “approximately 2.4 sextillion times more likely to be observed if the unidentified remains originated from a biological child of (Caleb Harris’s parents) rather than if the unidentified remains originated from an unrelated individual from the Caucasian population,” authorities said, according to the Missing Persons DNA Report issued by UNTCHI.
“We all have heavy hearts this evening as we learned of the positive identification of our sweet Caleb. We will grieve our son,” Harris’ family said in a statement Wednesday, ABC News reported. “Thank you for your prayers and support during this tragic time.”
The investigation into Harris’ death remains open, authorities said.
