A couple in Texas, December Marie Mitchell and Jonathan James Mitchell, has been accused of burying their autistic son in their backyard but claimed he passed away in a hospital. Investigators, however, could not find any record confirming his death.
The couple was arrested on October 14 after police conducted a welfare check on their son, Jonathan Kinman, who was 26 years old and had special needs. Authorities learned that he had died, which prompted further investigation.
During this check, December reportedly told police that she had taken Kinman to a hospital where he died, yet she didn’t provide details about the date or cause of death, as noted in the arrest affidavit. She also mentioned not having any medical documents and that he was cremated.
Despite her claims, attempts to verify her story through the hospital and coroner’s office yielded no records confirming her assertions.
The same day, Jonathan shared a cryptic post on Facebook, hinting at Kinman’s passing. He expressed feelings of heartbreak, saying, “So no matter how strong you are, certain things can break you to the core.” He added that their son had passed away on a Sunday, just two days before the welfare check.
Following the police inquiry, Jonathan contacted them later that day to report that he had discovered Kinman was buried in their backyard, according to the affidavit.
On the following day, local police and Texas Rangers arrived at the home and found Kinman’s body wrapped in a camouflage blanket in a shallow grave. A neighbor had heard December say she buried her son and threatened to alert the authorities, prompting Jonathan to call the police.
As officers searched the property with a K9 unit, December reportedly grew anxious and exclaimed to Jonathan, “The dog came in to find me… it was all me… that dog came in to find him,” according to the affidavit.
Other neighbors expressed shock, noting they only heard the couple speak about their daughter and grandchild, never mentioning Kinman. “We never saw the child… She never mentioned that she had children,” a neighbor shared, highlighting the couple’s secretive behavior regarding their son.
Both December and Jonathan have been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence related to a human corpse and are currently held in the Johnson County Jail with bail set at $250,000 each. Meanwhile, Kinman’s body has been sent to the Tarrant County Coroner’s Office, with the cause of death still undetermined.
