BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Police are working to identify the remains found in a wooded area this week, which they believe may belong to a man last seen October 2021.
Edward Theodore Phillips, 71, was last seen on October 20, 2021 on foot in the area of Marie and Waco Street in the Pear Orchard neighborhood.
On Sunday, December 4, 2022, police responded to a wooded area near the 3100 block of Astor Street and Delaware Street in reference to human remains shortly after noon, according to a Beaumont Police Department release.
An initial investigation suggests the remains may belong to Phillips, but police are awaiting final DNA confirmation.
Police are awaiting final DNA confirmation to link the remains to Phillips.
Edward's wife Patrina Phillips tells 12News having those remains linked to her husband may finally give their family the closure they need.
Edward Phillips lived in Beaumont his entire life.
"He knows the North End like the back of his hand, that's where he was born and raised all his life and he has nothing but friends out there," Patrina Phillips said.
Patrina Phillips thinks someone is responsible for his death.
"For him to be in the location he was at, that's the light being in his back door. I'm almost 100% sure somebody did him something because he wouldn't do it, he would not do it," she said.
Police are still in the early stages of the investigation.
"It's going to take anthropologists and a pathologist to let us know how long he had been deceased," said Detective Sergeant Jesus Tamayo.
Tamayo says they're investigating whether foul play was involved or not.
"We treat every case like this as a homicide until we can determine otherwise. At this point, we don't know and that's what we're investigating right now," he said.
Before they can investigate, they have to confirm whether the remains belong to Edward Phillips. The remains will be sent to the University of North Texas for DNA identification.
"I am hoping that it is his body because that means I would have some kind of closure," Patrina Phillips said.
For the Phillips family, closure means laying him to rest.
"Trying to find out if it's him, so I can put him to rest properly. You know, he's a veteran and he served his country. He deserves to be put away properly," Patrina Phillips said.
Tamayo says DNA identification could take a few weeks or months to confirm. He also says they have a few leads and people they're talking to.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.