Human Remains found in a Houston Pasture are those of a 17 Year Old Jessica Cain who disappeared in 1997 … Convicted Felon William Reece Pointed Authorities to the Location

The remains of 17 year old Jessica Cain who disappeared in 1997 have been positively identified according to the Harris County medical examiner’s office on Friday. Forensic experts used DNA to identify her. The remaining of the missing teen girl were found in a Houston area pasture. According to reports, William Reece, who is serving a 60-year sentence for a 1997 kidnapping, assisted authorities in the search and pointed authorities to the location. Investigators zeroed in on the field on East Orem Dr. thanks to a tip from an inmate named William Reece.

Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch assisted in the search for Jessica’s remains said the following, “I was there the day she disappeared on the original search, and this is not the news her family wanted to hear, but not knowing is usually worse.” Miller further went on to say, “They now have the opportunity to go through that grieving process. And realize that Jessica’s not coming back and get into that healing process.”

Human remains found in a Houston pasture are those of a 17-year-old girl who disappeared in 1997, the Harris County medical examiner’s office said Friday.

The remains of Jessica Cain, who disappeared after dining with friends, were identified through DNA analysis, said Audrey Carter, an investigator with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

A convicted kidnapper who might be linked to other violent crimes pointed investigators to the location of the remains. Investigators dug for more than three weeks in a rural pasture on the edge of Houston before finding the remains on March 18.

William Reece, who is serving a 60-year sentence for a 1997 kidnapping, assisted authorities in the search. Reece, 56, also recently led authorities to remains identified as those of 20-year-old college student Kelli Cox, who had been missing from Denton in North Texas since 1997.

Reece’s attorney, Anthony Osso, has said his client ultimately hopes to avoid the death penalty by cooperating with authorities.

UPDATE I: Human remains found in SE Houston field confirmed to be Jessica Cain.

Cain disappeared in 1997; her truck found abandoned on the side of I-45 near the exit to her home. Her case remained unsolved until detectives began searching a southeast Houston field in February of this year. After nearly three weeks of searching, skeletal remains were found.

The man who led investigators to the site is William Reece, who has been the prime suspect in Cain’s disappearance. A handcuffed Reece was spotted in the field over the few weeks the search took place, walking around with investigators.

After Cain’s remains were found in southeast Houston, Reece led investigators to a field in Brazoria County near Angleton. After a week of digging, investigators found what were later identified as the remains of Kelli Ann Cox.

Cox disappeared from the town of Denton in 1997.