Amanda Overstreet, a 16-year-old from Texas, went missing more than two decades ago, but her parents never filed a police complaint, making the investigation open at present. However, the discovery of her body has opened up new possibilities in the case as the court inches closer to providing justice.
Witnesses last spotted the teenager in April 2005 while she was returning from school in Colorado. However, her family never officially reported Overstreet’s disappearance, putting the circumstances surrounding her case under investigation.
The breakthrough in Overstreet’s case occurred on January 12, 2024, when authorities retrieved her head and hands from a freezer in a recently sold home in Grand Junction, Colorado. The remains were discovered by someone who came by to pick up the freezer.
Amanda Leariel Overstreet, 16, of #GrandJunction #Colorado, was identified as the victim whose body parts were found in a freezer in January 2024
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) October 12, 2024
The grim discovery was made after the home's new owner offered a freezer left behind for free. Inside were a head & forearms with… pic.twitter.com/yV1RKV2IWP
After conducting a mandatory DNA test, the Mesa County sheriff’s office confirmed that they had recovered Amanda Overstreet from her parents’ home. The house belonged to Overstreet’s mother, Leanne Overstreet, and her stepfather, Bradley David Imer.
According to national records, Imer had passed away of cardiac arrest following a case of COVID-19 in 2021. After her husband’s demise, Leanne was still a resident of the property alongside her other children, Elsie Belle and Anthony Imer.
However, because Leanne tended to hoard things, they had to remodel and sell the house, which eventually helped the police locate Overstreet’s body after all these years. Meanwhile, the authorities have not revealed any information about Overstreet’s biological father.
Before moving in with her parents, Amanda Overstreet lived with her grandmother before losing her to a chronic illness. According to the records, the State put her in her parents’ care, and the teen moved from Houston to Colorado.
Amanda Overstreet’s investigation was initiated 20 years after she was believed to have passed away!
Despite months after the discovery of Overstreet’s body, the sheriff’s office didn’t make any arrests, and Leanne is still a resident of Grand Junction. The investigation occurred with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation assisting the coroner’s office.
Further, years into the case, Wendy Likes, the county’s public information officer, mentioned, “Give us some time and some grace to really figure out what happened. We still have a lot of forensic testing that we need to do on evidence and a lot of interviews still to complete.“
Moreover, one of their neighbors said they spotted Overstreet a few times in the house, but she suddenly disappeared. Recently, there had been signs of foul play near the house, as they could smell mildew from the property.
Amanda Overstreet was the 16 year old found and the investigation is active. Leanne, her mother, and Bradley, her stepfather are suspects. #Colorado pic.twitter.com/X1VHrOM6To
— ure_too_close (@ure_too_close) October 12, 2024
Before Overstreet’s case, Leanne posted a fundraiser for her husband’s funeral and hospital bills on Facebook and mentioned that the family had suffered financially due to recent flooding.
She mentioned that her only daughter is starting her senior year, and her father’s demise had affected her poorly.
However, the post didn’t mention Overstreet or her whereabouts. During a recent interview, one of Overstreet’s cousins claimed that the family had been searching for answers all these years, but the government failed to provide any solution.
Similarly, people claimed that the family tried to file a missing person’s report, but authorities took no action. Later, Leanne informed the family that Overstreet had run away to a truck stop in Amarillo. However, such claims couldn’t be confirmed due to the precise nature of the case.
With renewed attention to the case, netizens speculated that Overstreet’s parents knew about her demise after the county ruled the incident a homicide.
Additional Information
- Authorities have yet to locate Overstreet’s other body parts, as her mother previously mentioned having a secret burial for her missing daughter.
- The Mesa County sheriff’s office has asked the public to respect the privacy of the current owners and neighbors. The officials have urged passersby to avoid driving by the homes or taking their photos for privacy reasons.
- For Victim Assistance for Missing Persons Case, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has requested that the public contact its hotline at 303-239-4211 if they have any information on the Overstreet case.
