Neighbor arrested after missing teen is found dead and buried in homemade box on his property

RUSH COUNTY, Ind. (TCD) -- A 59-year-old man was arrested this week after his missing neighbor and employee was found dead on his property.

On June 10, the Rush County Sheriff’s Department issued a statewide Silver Alert on behalf of 17-year-old Valerie Tindall, who was last seen June 7 in Arlington driving a green Honda Accord. The Sheriff’s Office said she was believed to be in "extreme danger." In August, the sheriff’s department said there was a chance she had been "receiving aid from individual(s) whose goal is to keep her hidden," saying there was a chance she could have changed her hair color or style.

Over five months after her disappearance, Rush County investigators along with FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, and other law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at a residence on North Oak Street in Arlington. While there, they found a body and subsequently arrested the homeowner, Patrick Scott, on charges of murder, obstruction of justice, and false informing to a law enforcement officer.

In a press conference, Rush County Sheriff Allan Rice said Scott was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.

The Rush County Coroner’s Office positively identified the remains as Tindall’s, though the cause and manner of death remain pending.

According to court records cited by WXIN-TV, an investigator discovered Tindall’s body inside a homemade box constructed of two-by-fours and strand boards. The officer reportedly noticed the victim had orange painted nails, which matched up with a photo Tindall posted on social media the day she disappeared. Detectives also found a second box that contained papers and old VHS tapes.

Scott reportedly confessed to strangling Tindall with his belt. He said he "put it around her neck and I held onto it until she quit." After she died, he left her body in his office, then wrapped her body in plastic, placed her in the box, and buried her.

WXIN reports Tindall and Scott worked and spent time together. Scott, however, alleged Tindall was trying to blackmail him so she could get a new car.

He reportedly said, "I just knew she wasn’t going to blackmail me."

According to WXIN, Scott runs a landscaping business and Tindall worked for him during the summer.

Scott allegedly also said he "wasn’t too crazy" about strangling Tindall.

Not long after Tindall disappeared, a neighbor reportedly spotted Scott burning down his garage.

Rice said in the news release, "This is not the outcome we had hoped for. This case is still under investigation to ensure those responsible are successfully prosecuted."

MORE:

• Silver Alert, 6/10/2023 - Rush County Sheriff's Department
• Update, 8/9/2023 - Rush County Sheriff's Department
• Body discovered - Rush County Sheriff's Department 
• Human remains positively identified - Rush County Sheriff's Department
• Court docs: Patrick Scott admitted to officers that he killed Valerie Tindall, buried her in homemade box - WXIN