Sheriff will reveal identity of bones on Thursday morning

JEFFERSON

The Ashtabula County Sheriff has called a news conference for 10 a.m. Thursday at his office to release the results of the examination of the bones found at a house on U.S. Route 6 in Roaming Shores Aug. 20.

Sheriff Billy Johnson said the identity of the bones has been determined, but he will not release that information until the conference.

Investigators found the bones while executing a search warrant at the home of James E. Brooks, 40, who also has ties to Warren. The search warrant pertained to illegal drugs, but authorities had also been investigating Brooks' possible ties to the disappearance of Warren girl Alesha Bell, 18.

Bell was reported missing by her mother July 23, and Warren police spoke with Brooks about Bell's disappearance Aug. 8, police said.

Brooks was placed in the Ashtabula County jail after police discovered the bones, charged with abuse of a corpse and drug and weapons charges.

Ashtabula County authorities asked the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office to compare the bones found at Brooks' home with DNA provided by Bell's mother to determine whether the bones belonged to Bell,