Texas couple arrested after body of special needs son, 26, discovered buried in backyard

Texas couple arrested after body of special needs son, 26, discovered buried in backyard

A Texas couple was arrested after investigators found the body of their adult special needs son buried in their backyard, according to investigators.

The remains of Jonathan Kinman, 26, were found when police conducted a welfare check at 433 White Oak Lane in Burleson, according to a social media post from Burleson Police.

Kinman's mother, December Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan Mitchell, were charged with tampering with and fabricating physical evidence to impair a human corpse, which is a second-degree felony. The pair could face additional charges pending an autopsy report and the outcome of the investigation. The two are each being held on a $250,000 bond.

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On Oct. 14, police responded to the home for a welfare check for Kinman, who lived with his mother and stepfather.

Deputy Police Chief Doug Sandifer said an investigation was launched after a friend of the family reported seeing a confusing Facebook post from the couple mourning the death of Kinman, according to Fox 4.

Investigators became suspicious after the couple acknowledged Kinman's death but would only give vague information about how he passed, Sandifer said, the outlet noted.

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"The first information was she said he was taken to Hugeley Hospital and pronounced there. We followed up with that and that was not correct," Sandifer said. "The conflicting information definitely led us to believe that something was not as it should be."

On Oct. 15, police officers returned along with the Texas Rangers and discovered a shallow grave in the backyard.

Kinman’s body was exhumed and transported to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy was performed. The autopsy results are still pending, and a cause of death has not yet been determined.

It also remains unclear when Kinman died.

Police said at no point during the investigation did they believe there was any threat to the community.

Category USA
Published Oct 22, 2025
Last Updated 1 hour ago