20-year-old reports mom missing, then cops find bones in burn pit, IN police say

An Indiana man reported his mother missing, and now he’s accused of killing her and disposing of her body, authorities say.

Nicholas Yates, 20, of Clinton, is charged with murder, according to court records filed Oct. 7 in Vermillion County.

No attorney information was available for Yates as of Oct. 8.

State police say Yates was at home with his mom on Friday, Oct. 3, when he hit her in the throat during an argument, causing her to bump her head on a bed frame, WTHI reported, citing court documents.

She died, and Yates put her body in a box, then spent the next day burning her remains in a burn pit outside the home, investigators said, according to the outlet.

A deputy responded to the home on Sunday, Oct. 5, to investigate a missing person report, ,according to Indiana State Police .

Parts of Yates’ story didn’t add up, and investigators learned that prior to his mother’s disappearance, a supervisor at her work said she was upset with him for “blowing all of his money and her paying his bills,” WTWO reported.

The investigation led deputies to the backyard of the home, where they inspected the burn pit and found bones with “the shape and appearance” of human bones, according to the outlet.

“Particularly indicative of a human bone was one bone which appeared to be that of a human spinal cord,” investigators said, the outlet reported.

Clinton is a roughly 80-mile drive southwest from Indianapolis.

This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM with the headline "20-year-old reports mom missing, then cops find bones in burn pit, IN police say."