Remains of missing mom found stuffed in metal box, PA cops say. Husband charged
A woman missing for more than a week was found dead inside a metal box on a large plot of land formerly owned by her husband, according to Pennsylvania police and news reports.
The June 29 discovery of 33-year-old Katlyn Harp's remains has now led to the arrest of Vincent Lloyd Harp, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release.
Katlyn Harp was reported missing June 19, having last been seen at her home in Bloomsburg in Columbia County, according to state police and the Hemlock Township Police Department.
According to a text message shared on Facebook by her sister, she told her husband before her disappearance, 'I need a (break)... I need my space to get out of my head.'
Troopers have not confirmed if the message was sent by Katlyn Harp, but the criminal investigation eventually ended up at a 38-acre forested property that had been sold by her husband in 2023, according to the Daily Voice.
Her remains were discovered June 29 'in a desolate corner' of the woods, WNEP reported, citing local authorities.
Her body was hidden inside a metal box, WKOK reported.
Her cause of death was not listed, but Columbia County Coroner Jeremy Reese said evidence at the scene suggests she was killed, NorthCentralPA.com reported.
Vincent Harp, 39, had already been identified as a suspect in his wife's disappearance, WNEP reported. Authorities said blood was found on his UTV, which was sold after his wife disappeared.
Cell phone records showed Vincent Harp was in the vicinity of his former property on June 21, more than a week before his wife's remains were found, according to WNEP.
State police said Vincent Harp was charged with criminal homicide and tampering with evidence. He was jailed in the Columbia County Correctional Facility without bond.
In a GoFundMe, loved ones said Katlyn Harp would be 'deeply missed by all who knew her as a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend.'
'Katlyn was one of the kindest, most genuine people you could ever meet,' loved ones said. 'Her warmth, laughter, and love touched everyone around her.'
Bloomsburg is about a 135-mile drive northwest from Philadelphia.
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