A man in his late 50s has been charged with murder after human remains were discovered on his property in central Indiana. The 17-year-old victim, Valerie Tindall, went missing in June and her neighbor and boss, Patrick Scott, has reportedly confessed to killing her. According to court documents, Scott admitted to strangling Tindall with a belt and burying her in a homemade box in his backyard. Scott appeared in court for an initial hearing and is also facing charges of obstruction of justice and false informing. He has been ordered to be held without bond and a public defender has been appointed to represent him. Tindall had been working for Scott's lawn mowing business and was last seen with him on June 7. The town of Arlington, where the incident took place, is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

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On Oct. 11, cadaver-sniffing dogs indicated the smell of decomposition in a pond near the property, but a search failed to turn up anything. One of the dog handlers told authorities that water is known to hold odor and that the smell could have come from runoff into the pond.

Authorities discovered a large dirt pile and debris on the property on Tuesday. Using shovels, they unearthed a rectangular box wrapped in tarp. Inside the box were human remains, including fingernails painted with orange polish, according to reports.

Officials stated that a photo posted on social media on June 7 showed an individual with orange-colored nails.

"This is not the outcome we had all hoped for, but I want to stress to the public that this case is far from over," said Sheriff Allan Rice on Wednesday. "Justice will be sought."

Alleged confession

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday and reportedly confessed to investigators that he strangled the victim with his belt in the bedroom of his home. He claimed that she had attempted to blackmail and seduce him.

"I put it around her neck and I held onto it until she quit," the suspect allegedly told police.

Trusting Relationship Ends in Tragedy

Shena Sandefur revealed in an interview with WRTV-TV that her daughter had a close relationship with Scott, the accused individual. Sandefur stated that her family had complete trust in him.

"They shared a bond. They were not only colleagues, but also friends," Sandefur expressed. "While she worked for him, they often spent time together with his family. His granddaughter and my daughter were good friends, and we even went on outings together."