Remains of teenager identified as human found in freezer near Grand Junction

Updated at 12:57 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024.

Investigators have identified the person whose head and hands were found in a freezer left behind by the previous occupants of a home near Grand Junction.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office identified the human remains as belonging to Amanda Leariel Overstreet, who was believed to be about 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. According to a news release Friday morning, Overstreet was the biological daughter of the home's previous owner.

The remains were discovered in January when the home's new owners tried to get rid of the freezer after taking over the property. They discovered the head and a pair of hands when someone came to pick up the device, the sheriff's office said.

Overstreet has not been seen since 2005 and the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.

Wendy Likes, public information officer for the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, said there was no record of Overstreet ever being reported missing.

“Give us some time and some grace to really figure out what happened and we want to do the best for her,” Likes said. “A child has gone missing and there is no record of anyone reporting him missing and that is very sad. That’s why we want to be sure that this is a thorough investigation and that we get all the details and facts right.”

The home where the remains were found is outside Grand Junction city limits, meaning the sheriff's office will be leading the investigation. Likes said the Colorado Bureau of Investigation assisted the medical examiner's office.

“We still have a lot of forensic testing to do to collect evidence and a lot of interviews that still need to be completed,” Likes said.

Likes noted that the investigation will likely progress slowly.

The sheriff's office said the home in question is located in the 2900 block of Pinyon Avenue. County property records for a home on this block include records for a home occupied by a Bradley David Imer, who died of COVID-19 in 2021. Imer's death certificate, which was included in county property records, lists his wife as Leanne Overstreet.

It is unclear whether Leanne Overstreet and Amanda Overstreet, the victim, have a relationship. The sheriff's office confirmed that the home's previous owner was Amanda Overstreet's biological mother, but when contacted by CPR News, said it could not confirm whether that person was Leanne Overstreet.