Human remains found in Brown County identified as missing woman

BROWNWOOD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Human remains found in rural Brown County have been identified as a woman reported missing in May, authorities said.

On Tuesday, May 27, Brownwood police responded to a report of a missing person in the 900 block of Melwood Drive. Officers were informed that Melanie Rose Pancake, 58, had not been seen at her residence for several days, possibly weeks.

Detectives with the Brownwood Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division began looking into the case. The investigation led them to a farmland property near the Zephyr community in Brown County.

On Tuesday, June 10, investigators discovered human remains buried in a shallow grave on the property. The remains were exhumed and sent to the Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s Office, where a preliminary autopsy identified them as those of Ms. Pancake.

The case is now an active criminal investigation. Authorities said arrests are expected, but no further information has been released.