Remains Recovered from Ohio Septic Tank Believed to Be Missing Man

Law enforcement recovered remains believed to be of a missing Canton, Ohio man from a septic tank in rural Knox County, Ohio. The Mount Vernon News reported that the Knox County Sheriff's Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation were acting on a tip when they began excavating the property Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, Knox County Sheriff David Barber indicated the body is believed to be Raymond Staats of Canton, Ohio. The convicted felon was last seen on January 9, 2009. The Canton Repository reported that Staats' lifelong friend, Mary Serafini, received a telephone call from him indicating he had just purchased a car in Mount Vernon and never heard from him again.

The property where the remains were recovered at 27700 Newcastle Road, Walhonding, is owned by Cami Stidham of Mount Vernon. She is currently under indictment for aggravated theft in Knox County. Her husband, John Stidham was indicted in April, 2011 for complicity to aggravated theft for allegedly assisting her in stealing more than $400,000 from her former employer. Mr. Stidham was also indicted on multiple counts of receiving stolen property including several automobiles.

The Stidhams also jointly own real estate near the location the remains were recovered. It was on this property, located at 30049 New Guilford Road, that law enforcement officials conducted a search warrant and located stolen automobiles, motorcycles and weapons. The lender filed foreclosure on that property in June.

An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted by the Licking County Coroner on Friday July 15 to determine the identity of the remains.