Marthaville, LA (5/29/2024) — Human remains discovered near Marthaville last Friday have been presumptively identified, according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright. The skeletal remains were found off Preston Hayes Road near Marthaville in a private pond and along its outer banks.
Natchitoches Parish Coroner Steven Clanton reported on Monday that the remains, discovered around 10:44 a.m. on Friday, May 24,2024, have been presumptively identified through on-site evidence as belonging to Steven W. Burkett. The remains have been sent to the LSU F.A.C.E.S. Lab in Baton Rouge for further examination and positive identification. Burkett’s family was notified of the discovery on Friday.
The investigation into Burkett’s disappearance began over two years ago, on February 13, 2022, when a female friend reported him missing under suspicious circumstances. Deputies from the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office (NPSO) gathered initial information and issued a missing person bulletin. Burkett, who was 49 years old at the time, was described as a white male, 5’11”, 175 pounds, with medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. He lived in the 100 block of Eddie Williams Road near Marthaville.
Efforts to locate Burkett included multiple searches by NPSO detectives, assisted by the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, Many Police Department, Natchitoches Parish Fire District #7, cadaver dogs from the Shreveport Fire Department, and Ark-La-Tex K-9 Rescue. Despite extensive searches covering several hundred acres, Burkett remained missing until the recent discovery.
In March, Brittany Breeding of KTBS Channel 3 Shreveport conducted an in-depth report on Burkett’s disappearance, bringing renewed attention to the case.
Last Friday, acting on a tip, Natchitoches Parish and Sabine Parish detectives, with cooperation from the landowner, searched the private pond where the remains were found. The NPSO Dive Team and North Sabine Parish Dive Team assisted in the recovery. Evidence collected at the scene led Coroner Clanton to presumptively identify the remains as Burkett’s, suggesting they had been there for a couple of years.
The Natchitoches and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Offices are continuing to aggressively pursue leads. Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the NPSO Criminal Investigations Bureau at 318-357-7830.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, with authorities seeking to uncover the full circumstances surrounding Burkett’s disappearance and death.
