Male human remains were found in a well at a Lee County residence Sunday night while Lee County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant, according to a release from Lee County Coroner Bill Harris.
The remains are being autopsied at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery to determine the cause of death and the identity of the remains.
It is unclear what happened prior to the death, but sheriff’s investigators are pursuing several leads and have developed a person of interest in the case. They do not believe the death was a random act, according to the Coroner’s statement.
Deputies were searching a residence on Lee Road 279 in Beulah, Alabama, in connection to a missing person case. A neighbor reported James Clarke, 72, of Valley, Alabama, missing on Dec. 19, after he was not seen for about 3 weeks.
The remains found in the well have tentatively been identified as Clarke's, according to a statement on the Lee County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
Hubert Sprayberry, 58, of Valley, Alabama, was arrested and charged with murder, according to the Sheriff's statement.
Hubert Sprayberry, 58, of Valley, Ala., was arrested on Monday, Dec. 30, on murder charges in relation to the death of 72-year-old James Clarke of Valley, Ala.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651, Lee County Crime Stoppers at 888-522-7847 or the Lee County Coroner Secret Witness line at 334-742-4339.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Elizabeth, senior in journalism and political science, is the community editor for The Plainsman
