City of Columbia Missouri Police Department

600 E. Walnut Street
Columbia, MO 65201

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 20, 2019

CONTACT: Jeff Pitts
Community Relations Specialist/Public Information Officer
Columbia Police Department
City of Columbia
573.817.5049
[email protected]

UPDATE: Human remains found in landfill identified as Megan Shultz on Dec. 20

(COLUMBIA, MO) - The Columbia Police Department was notified on Friday, Dec. 20 that the human remains found in the landfill on September 18 are a 99.99% match to Megan Shultz. Detectives submitted a DNA sample to a private lab for comparison to the human remains.

"We are thankful to have reached a point in this investigation where we can definitively tell Megan’s family that we have found her,'' Police Chief Geoff Jones said. "Our thoughts are with them and we stand with them as we go through the prosecution phase of this process."


Background information:

Megan was reported missing on Aug. 5, 2006 by her husband at the time, Keith Alan Comfort. A missing person report was completed, but there was no evidence that suggested foul play.

On Aug. 4, 2019, Comfort went to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Police Department and made voluntary statements implicating himself in the death of Shultz.

In Sept. of 2019, the Columbia Police Department and the Columbia Solid Waste Utility analyzed the operating records of the landfill to determine what portion of the landfill was used in Aug. of 2006 and conducted an exploratory dig for dated materials such as newspapers, receipts and postmarks in those areas.

On Sept. 18, detectives and Columbia Solid Waste Utility crews found what appeared to be human remains. A professional anthropologist confirmed the findings as human remains.

Case number 2006-009538 



Previous Press Release(s):


UPDATE: Human remains found during landfill exploratory dig related to disappearance of Megan Shultz

https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/view.php?id=6354


CPD, City of Columbia Utilities hold press conference in relation to 2006 disappearance of Megan Shultz

https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/view.php?id=6339


UPDATE: Information regarding Megan Shultz investigation

https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/view.php?id=6299


Suspect arrested regarding open missing person case from 2006

https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/view.php?id=6293


City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

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