Missing Indiana Teen Valerie Tindall Found Dead Near Parents’ Home, Landscaping Boss Charged with Murder

After an exhaustive six-month search, 17-year-old Valerie Tindall has been found deceased just a hundred yards from her parent’s front door in Indiana. Her body was discovered hidden inside a homemade box on the property of her landscaping boss, Patrick Scott, who has since been charged with murder.

The Rush County Sheriff’s Department has yet to determine the cause of Tindall’s death, but her remains have been positively identified by the county’s coroner. In addition to the murder charge, Scott also faces obstruction of justice and false informing charges relating to earlier false accounts he gave to the police.

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Scott confessed to strangling Tindall with a belt in his bedroom on June 7. He claimed that Tindall had tried to seduce and blackmail him into buying her a car. Scott said the murder “just kind of happened” and that he wasn’t troubled by it.

Scott allegedly buried Tindall’s body in a box made of two-by-fours and strand boards. Another box containing VHS tapes and paperwork was also found buried on the property. It is unclear what the contents of these documents were.

Tindall’s mother, Shena Sandefur, described Scott as a “jealous boyfriend” who tracked her daughter’s phone. Sandefur expressed regret for moving next door to Scott, whom she referred to as her daughter’s “predator.”

The investigation into Tindall’s murder is ongoing, with authorities continuing to search Scott’s property for evidence. The Rush County Sheriff’s Department is also seeking tips from the community regarding any sightings of Tindall with an older man in Shelbyville on June 7.

Tindall’s tragic death has left her family devastated. Sandefur described her daughter as a hardworking and kind person who had dreams of attending college. The community is urged to come forward with any information that may help bring justice for Tindall and her grieving family.