Authorities renew search for Sheppard's remains

NORWALK — Investigators spent most of the day Monday searching for the body of a man killed 16 years ago in a drug dispute. Authorities believe the body of Michael Sheppard Jr. might be buried near the border of Erie and Huron counties."The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is searching for his remains under U.S. 250 near Rattlesnake Creek just north of Norwalk," said Dave O'Neil, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General's Office on Monday.Sheppard went missing in May 2003.After years of investigating, BCI agent Tom Brokamp and the state attorney general's office were able to secure indictments in the Sheppard case for charges of murder and aggravated robbery against Joshua Stamm, 37, of Florida; Adam White, 36, of Sandusky; and Scott Hall, 47, of Clyde.Michael Sheppard Jr. was last seen May 2003.Brokamp concluded Sheppard was killed in a drug dispute in Huron County and his body was buried behind Fox Lane, a private road off U.S. 250 between Milan and Norwalk. Authorities searched the area multiple times in the past with cadaver dogs but never recovered his remains.In October, Stamm pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and provided details about the night of Sheppard's death, which led to a renewed search of the area. The search was called off after several days.White and Hall had their December jury trial dates in the Huron County vacated because of pending lab results, but a spokeswoman for the attorney general at the time couldn't comment as to if this was related to the search.But on Monday, Texas EquuSearch — an organization that specializes in finding missing people — returned to the site at the request of the state, less than a week after White accepted a plea agreement of his own."Tim Miller (the organization's founder) has traveled back to Ohio and is on site now, working to recover Michael's body and finally bring closure to his family. Please keep this family in your prayers today," an update on its website states.Miller said he couldn't speak to any specifics, but said the bureau contacted his organization to help after its continued investigation led to "credible information" on the possible location of Sheppard's remains. "We are basically trying the areas we searched before," Miller said.White pleaded guilty last Tuesday to obstructing official business, a misdemeanor. In exchange, murder and aggravated robbery charges were dismissed by the attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the case.White is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday — the same day he and Hall were supposed to have jury trials — in the common pleas court. Hall is the last defendant facing a murder charge and is scheduled to have a pretrial the same day.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe area behind Fox Lane, a private road off U.S. 250, is where investigators have long believed Michael Sheppard Jr. was buried. They returned Monday to search the area again.Authorities search the area near Rattlesnake Creek, under U.S. 250 north of Norwalk, Monday for the remains of Michael Sheppard Jr. who went missing nearly 16 years ago.