By Associated Press - Thursday, November 30, 2017

WAVERLY, Ohio (AP) - Authorities say human bone fragments found during the search for a missing woman in southern Ohio have led to a man’s arrest.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the Pike County Sheriff’s Office says 24-year-old Brandon Friend, of Peebles, is charged with corpse abuse and tampering with evidence in connection with the fragments found last week in a burn pile.

Deputies say they can’t determine yet whether the bones are those of 77-year-old Bernice Hayslip, who hasn’t been seen since August 2016.

Authorities say Hayslip’s daughter, Tracy Sowards, is a person of interest in the disappearance. The 44-year-old Peebles woman is charged with misuse of a credit card and receiving stolen property.

Repeated attempts to reach an attorney who represented Friend and Sowards in Pike County Court were unsuccessful.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

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