Thomas Lee Creel, 71, was found buried in a shallow, hand-dug grave in a wooded part of Chilton County, Alabama; his partially decomposed remains were discovered after cemetery caretakers reported a suspicious grave in an area not used for burials in over a century. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences ruled the death a homicide, and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division opened an investigation.

Investigators say two juvenile males were arrested and charged with murder and first-degree burglary in connection with Creel’s death. The Jemison and Clanton police departments, the Chilton County Coroner’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency assisted in the probe, which remained ongoing as authorities sought additional information from the public.

If anyone has information about Creel, his last known movements, or unusual activity near local cemeteries around May 2022, please share what is known with investigators.