Human remains found in burn pit in Walworth County

EAST TROY -- Sources tell FOX6 News Walworth County authorities are investigating after two bodies were found on a property near Woodfield Court and Highway J in East Troy. Officials arrived at the property on Thursday, Jan. 10, and shut down a portion of Highway J while crews from multiple agencies swarmed the scene.

This is a Franklin Police Department investigation but they have not confirmed any details to FOX6 News.

"It looks like they're looking for somebody or something," said Daniel Stiglitz.

Dozens of investigators searched the property in Walworth County on Thursday.

"Very unusual for where we are. This is Walworth County," said Stiglitz.

Sources close to the death investigation say the suspect rents the property for hunting purposes.

"As far as I know that house has been empty the last three or four years," said Bob Krabbenhoft, lives nearby.

Sources tell FOX6 News the suspect is a Franklin business owner, who was also a suspect in a recent arson case out of Milwaukee. That arson investigation led them to his Franklin home, according to sources, who tell FOX6 News they found clothes soaked in diesel fuel and blood.

"I have never seen this many police or emergency people all in one spot," said Krabbenhoft.

The arson investigation led them to Walworth County, where sources tell FOX6 News investigators found the remains in a burn pit on the property.

"This is a very peaceful, calm area. Nothing like this has ever happened before," said Krabbenhoft.

Franklin police, in a statement issued around 3 p.m., would only say the "ongoing criminal investigation is active and ongoing." They noted that multiple other agencies were assisting, including the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Town of East Troy Police Department and Milwaukee Police Department.

Police said "there is no danger to the public at this time."

"I think it's very unusual for where we are. This is Walworth County," said Stiglitz. "It looks like they're looking for somebody or something, because of the search dog we just saw passing by. I'm hoping that whatever is going on that it has a good ending, but we don't know."

Franklin police say this is an ongoing investigation and they're not leaving the scene anytime soon. Sources tell FOX6 News the suspect was in custody on the arson case and as he was released, was arrested on the new case.