The remains of a missing West Virginia teenager have been discovered on the property of the home where her stepfather had been accused of abusing her, two weeks before her body was recovered.
Discovery of Remains
The remains of 16-year-old Shalyn Harvey were found on the grounds of a property in Big Chimney, West Virginia, on Friday, May 15. The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Monday that the remains belonged to Harvey.
Just days after Harvey was reported missing, her stepfather, James Truman, 52, was taken into custody on charges unrelated to her disappearance. Truman was arrested on May 8 on charges of incest and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian, or another person in a position of trust to a child, according to Law and Crime.
Timeline of Events
The teenager was first reported missing on May 4, according to the sheriff's office, two days after she was last seen in the same area where her body was ultimately discovered, reports the Mirror US. At the time, officers stated they believed she had entered a "blue Dodge Ram pickup truck from the early 2000s."
As the investigation progressed, police secured a search warrant for a property in Big Chimney. At a press conference on Friday, Kanawha County Chief Deputy Sean Snuffer confirmed that Shalyn had been living with her mother and Truman at the address.
Investigation and Charges
A post-mortem examination has been carried out on Harvey's body, though the sheriff's office is yet to release the cause of death. Harvey's death is currently being treated as a homicide. Court records reveal that Truman's sexual abuse charges are linked to an alleged incident that took place on or around April 15.
Truman is currently being held on a $100,000 cash bond at the Kanawha County Jail. He has not been charged in connection with his stepdaughter's death. His case was bound over to the Kanawha County Circuit Court on Monday.
The latest police statement reads: "During the execution of a search warrant on Offutt Drive on May 15, 2026, members of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office located female human remains on the property. On May 18, 2026, the WV Office of the Chief Medical Examiner positively identified the remains as those of 16-year-old Shayln Shantel Harvey. This investigation remains active and ongoing."
