Noon Coverage:
Kenai Lt. Dave Ross and FBI Special Agent Steven Forrest are addressing the details of the remains found over the weekend.
From what they can tell preliminarily, four bodies are included in the remains as well as the body of a canine which matched in size to the family’s dog which also went missing.
38-year-old Brandon Jividen and 23-year-old Rebecca Adams disappeared with Becca’s two daughters, 6-year-old Michelle Hundley and 3-year-old Jaracca Hundley some time between May 27 and June 7th.
A handgun has also been found at the scene…
Lt. Ross: “That handgun matches in serial number a box from the residence which had that serial number on it. So the clothes, the handgun, the remains, all appear to match that of the missing family.”
As to why these remains were not found during the searches which happened last spring through October, Lt. Ross said all initial clues directed the investigation differently.
Lt. Ross: “In the initial search effort there was an area covered around the residence, going out quite a ways and then as that developed there was more of a grid search done in that immediate area. The clues as we searched all started to point in the other direction away from the house, nothing solid that said they were absolutely there but there were clues: there was a bait station out in the woods that was used by Jividen out in the other direction; there was a, a scent detection dog hit on an area near a pond out the other direction, early last spring.”
Ross added that the department is fairly confident that the remains belong to the family but stressed it is still an ongoing investigation.
The remains were found by someone in a regular vehicle on the 4 x 4 trail, however the remains were not on the trail, they were in a ‘shallow depression’ near it. Ross described the area as not heavily treed but lots of grass and shrubs.
At this time Lt. Ross says there is no evidence about foul play or that the remains were moved to that area at all.
Lt. Ross: We don’t have any reason to believe from what we’ve collected that they were transported there, I’m not saying that I can rule that out 100 percent at this point, obviously we’re still there, we’re still investigating, we’re still trying to resolve that scene.”
Lt. Ross and Special Agent Forrest also extended condolences to the families involved in light of the recent developments. Ross read a statement from the family.
Lt. Ross: “In light of the recent development and the impact it has had on our family, we are releasing the following statements but do not plan to provide any interviews. Our family was deeply saddened by this weekend’s development. We will continue to work with law enforcement to bring closure to this heartbreaking situation. We are grateful for the continued support of the community as well as the time and effort put into this investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of all the families that are hurting at this time; Adams, Gifford, Hundley and Jividen. Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers.”
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KSRM will be airing today’s noon press conference on human remains found in Kenai over the weekend. Refresh this post for updates or listen online by clicking here.
Refresh this post for the latest information on the human remains found near Borgen Ave and Alpine Dr in Kenai last Saturday.
Kenai Police and the FBI will be releasing further details at noon.
A family grieves this morning as the news they waited ten months to hear points to the worst.
Kenai Police Saturday were alerted to human remains found near an ATV trail off Borgen Ave and Alpine Dr. The clothing and other items appear to match things found missing from an apartment on California Drive where the Jividen/Adams family was living until last May.
38-year-old Brandon and 23-year-old Becca disappeared with Becca’s two daughters, 6-year-old Michelle and 3-year-old Jaracca some time between May 27 and June 7th when Kenai Police officers began their investigation.
KPD and the FBI have had the scene cordoned off since Saturday.
KSRM’s Ashley Smith reports from the perimeter…
Police haven’t yet been able confirm that the remains belong to the family. There’s been no word on how many members of the family may have been found, but officers are expected to release further details close to noon today.
For more on the discover, click here: Remains Found on Trail, for more on the history of the case, click here: KSRM Top Stories of 2014 #2.
File photos of the missing family…
