Burleson, Texas: 26-year-old found dead, buried in family’s backyard, police say

After conducting a welfare check at a Burleson home, police found the body of a 26-year-old man with special needs buried in his backyard.

BURLESON, Texas — A mother and stepfather were arrested after their son was found buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of the family’s home, Burleson police said.

“It makes me sick,” said neighbor Betty Noyola. Noyola watched as police swarmed the home Tuesday, October 14.

Burleson police officers responded to a welfare check on White Oak Lane for Jonathan Kinman after getting a call that Kinman had died. 

“We received an inquiry from a friend,” said Deputy Chief Doug Sandifer with the Burleson Police Department.

Kinman, 26, had special needs and lived at the home with his mother, December Marie Mitchell, and stepfather, Jonathan James Mitchell, police said. Sandifer said Kinman had Russell-Silver Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. 

That’s news to neighbors who said they have never seen that young man come or go from that house in the two years they’ve lived there.

“Never saw him go in the house or out of the house. Never ever saw the child,” said Noyola.

While conducting the welfare check, police received information indicating that Kinman was dead and buried in the backyard of the home, according to the post. 

Both parents were arrested and charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse, officials said. They were taken to the Johnson County jail, where they are currently held on a $250,000 bond. 

Burleson police and the Texas Rangers returned to the home Oct. 15 and found Kinman’s body in a shallow grave in the backyard, police said. Kinman’s body was exhumed and taken to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, the post reads. 

Burleson Police do not know how Kinman died. But said the story the Mitchell’s told them did not add up.

“She [December] said that he was taken to Huguley Hospital and pronounced there and we followed up on that and that was not correct,” said Deputy Chief Sandifer.

The results of the autopsy are still pending, officials said. The cause of death has not been determined, and the incident remains under investigation, police said. 

Jonathan’s uncle, Jamie Kinman released a statement from Kinman’s biological dad’s side of the family:

“We were horrified to hear the news about our precious Jonathan. This is a living nightmare for the Kinman family. Please know that we are in full cooperation with law enforcement and we will fight for every last ounce of truth and justice to come to light for the sake of our sweet boy.”