A Texas couple arrested in connection with the death of their 26-year-old special needs son is facing serious charges after police discovered his body buried behind their Burleson home.
Authorities say the remains of Jonathan Kinman were uncovered during a welfare check at 433 White Oak Lane after family friends grew concerned over conflicting posts on social media. Burleson Police said Kinman’s mother, December Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan Mitchell, were charged with tampering with and fabricating physical evidence to impair a human corpse, a second-degree felony. Both are being held on $250,000 bond.
Deputy Police Chief Doug Sandifer said the investigation began when a friend reported a troubling Facebook post from the couple mourning Kinman’s death. “The first information was she said he was taken to Hugeley Hospital and pronounced there,” Sandifer said. “We followed up with that and that was not correct. The conflicting information definitely led us to believe that something was not as it should be.”
Police returned the following day with the Texas Rangers and found a shallow grave in the backyard. Kinman’s body was exhumed and transported to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy was conducted. Officials say the cause of death remains undetermined pending final results.
Authorities have not ruled out additional charges against the couple, as investigators work to establish when and how Kinman died.
