State police locate more human remains on Paoli property
Update October 17, 2014 — State Police investigators have an additional break in a case regarding a missing Orange County woman.
On October 2, while following information into a search for missing person, Michelle Fulton of Paoli, State Police investigators, crime scene technicians, and anthropologists from the University of Indianapolis uncovered burnt human remains behind a residence at 6226 South County Road 250 East, Paoli.
As a result, Jeffrey Fulton, 48, was charged with Murder.
On Friday, October 17, after receiving additional information, investigators searched an area in an open field near the residence and found some more human remains.
Investigators believe the remains are those of Michelle Fulton. The evidence will be sent to the State Police forensic laboratory for DNA testing to officially confirm the identity.
Additional information will be provided once the remains are property identified.
Update October 8, 2014 — Monday, Jeffrey Fulton pleaded not guilty to charges he killed his wife.
Fulton contested he hadn’t seen his wife since he dropped her off at the Jasper Kmart.
The Jasper Police Department was initially involved in the investigation of the disappearance of 34-year-old Michelle Fulton, according to Detective Sgt. Rick Chambers
Jeffrey Fulton was arrested on a murder charge after police found human remains on his property north of Paoli last week.
Update — Investigators with the Indiana State Police have filed a murder charge against the husband of a missing Paoli woman.
The charges were filed against Jeffrey Fulton, 48, Paoli, in Orange County Thursday.
After conducting a two-day search of the property at 6226 South County Road 250 East, Paoli, where both Jeffrey and Michelle Fulton, 34, lived, investigators developed probable cause based on the condition of the human remains to file murder charges.
This comes after a four and a half month investigation into the disappearance of Michelle Fulton.
Last week, investigators received new information into the disappearance of Michelle, leading them to obtain a search warrant on Wednesday for the property. After the two day search, with the assistance of anthropologists, human remains were found on the property.
This investigation remains ongoing to determine the identity of the remains.
Paoli — A stalled investigation began to move forward again after Indiana State Police served a search warrant on a rural Orange County residence and found the decomposed remains of a body Wednesday.
The discovery of the remains — yet to be determined if they are human or animal — comes after new information came to light in the investigation into a missing Paoli woman.
Nearly four and a half months ago, State Police Detective Shane Staggs and Orange County Sheriff’s Department Detective Dennis Lanham, began an investigation into the disappearance of Michelle Fulton, 34, Paoli.
Investigators exhausted all leads and angles into the case, and the investigation became stalled.
Last week, investigators received new information into a possible location of Fulton, leading them to obtain a search warrant on Wednesday for property at 6226 South County Road 250 East, Paoli.
During the search yesterday and into today, investigators found bones and remains in a wooded area of the property. It is currently unknown if the remains are, in fact, human remains. Anthropologists are actively excavating the area to attempt to exhume additional remains and hope to be able to identify the source of the remains within the coming days.
Until the remains are identified, investigators do not want to release further information regarding any method of the case or any possible suspects.
Due to having no further information regarding the whereabouts of Fulton, investigators are assuming she is still alive unless these remains are verified through DNA testing.
The scene remains active and further information regarding the investigation will be forthcoming.
