Human remains discovered last week in West Virginia have been identified as a woman who vanished in August.

West Virginia News reported that Christa Merrill’s remains were discovered on January 29 at a property in Harrison where police were seen using an excavator. Harrison Sheriff Robert Matheny II said on Tuesday that Merrill’s cause of death remains under investigation.

Merrill vanished on August 27, a day after she reportedly completed a urinalysis at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center.

WDTV reported that Merrill’s remains were found on Andrew Debolt’s property. Debolt was arrested in November 2024 for stabbing a man twice in the abdomen and slashing his face. In 2019, Debolt barricaded himself in a home and sparked a standoff that ended with U.S. Marshals arresting him.

Debolt — a registered sex offender — has a prior conviction for sexual abuse. He also spent time in federal prison for having a firearm despite his sex offender status, according to WDTV.

It is unclear how Merrill and Debolt are connected. Matheny declined to provide additional details about this case, citing an ongoing investigation.

[Feature Photo: Clarksburg police]