Unidentified Person

Unidentified person — Blount (2005-10-31)

Bones found by hunters in Blount County in 2005 were identified in 2025 news reports as Patrick Grayson Spann, who had escaped a Mississippi detention facility and lived in Blountsville under an alias. Although the identification resolved the question of identity, authorities said their investigation into Spann’s death continued. The supplied NamUs record still lists the unidentified-person case as open and unresolved.

Incident date: October 31, 2005
Location: Garden City, Blount County
Independent sources: 7

The record

Human bones found by hunters in rural Blount County in 2005 have been identified as the remains of Patrick Grayson Spann, a Mississippi inmate who had escaped custody and lived under an assumed name, according to 2025 news reports citing Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey.34

The identification means the record should no longer be characterized as an open unidentified-person case. However, the supplied NamUs page still labels case UP512 “Open / unresolved,” creating an apparent status discrepancy that should be checked directly with NamUs before publication.1

NamUs states that on Oct. 31, 2005, a Blount County sheriff’s investigator notified the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences after hunters found bones in a rural area of the county.1 ABC 33/40 and WBRC reported that the remains were found in woods off U.S. Highway 31 near Garden City.34

The remains were examined in 2005 but remained unidentified, according to ABC 33/40.3 WBRC reported that their condition prevented an autopsy.4 Both outlets said a firearm and a woman’s driver’s license were recovered with the remains.34

According to the reports, the woman named on the license told investigators that her partner, known as Chad Patrick Singleton, had taken her identification and disappeared about a year earlier.34 Investigators later determined that the name Chad Singleton belonged to a man who died in 1995.34

Casey reopened the investigation in 2024.34 Investigative genetic genealogy conducted by Moxxy Forensic Investigations identified a possible biological son of the deceased. DNA from that person was compared with a profile developed from a tooth taken from the remains, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed the remains were Spann’s, the outlets reported.34

The investigation found that Spann had assumed the Singleton identity after leaving the Hinds County detention facility in Raymond, Mississippi, in 1998.34 The reports said he had been serving a two-year sentence for cocaine possession.34 WBRC reported that Spann lived under the alias in Blountsville for approximately seven years.4

Witnesses said Spann left his Blountsville residence in October 2004 and did not return, according to both reports.34 A vehicle he was reportedly driving was later found behind a barn off Bangor Hollow Road.34

Spann’s remains were released to his family in Mississippi, but Casey said the investigation into his death remained open.34 WBRC reported that Casey said evidence at the recovery site led investigators to suspect foul play.4 No person is identified in the supplied sources as having been charged in connection with Spann’s death.

The three other linked news pages could not be retrieved from the supplied materials, while a fourth inaccessible page had a headline indicating the identification but provided no reviewable article text.2567

Timeline

1998Reported
Spann escaped from the Hinds County detention facility in Raymond, Mississippi, and later lived under the alias Chad Patrick Singleton.
October 2004Reported
Witnesses said Spann left his Blountsville residence and did not return.
October 31, 2005Confirmed
A Blount County sheriff’s investigator notified the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences after hunters found bones in rural Blount County.
2024Reported
Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey reopened the case.
February 11, 2025Reported
ABC 33/40 and WBRC reported that the remains had been identified as Patrick Grayson Spann through DNA comparison and investigative genetic genealogy.
February 2025Reported
Authorities said Spann’s remains had been released to his family while the investigation into his death continued.

Documented claims

On Oct. 31, 2005, a Blount County sheriff’s investigator notified the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences that hunters had found bones in rural Blount County.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Corroborated by 2 additional sources: https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-blount-county-remains-found-in-wooded-area-in-2005-inmate-patrick-grayson-spann-disappearance-october-2005-of-mississippi-man-february-2025, https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
The remains were found in woods off U.S. Highway 31 near Garden City.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
The remains were identified as those of Patrick Grayson Spann of Mississippi.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
A firearm and a driver’s license belonging to a woman were recovered with the remains.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
The woman named on the license told investigators that her partner, Chad Patrick Singleton, had taken her identification and disappeared about a year earlier; investigators found that the name Chad Singleton belonged to a man who died in 1995.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey reopened the case in 2024.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
Investigative genetic genealogy located a possible biological son, and comparison of his DNA with a profile obtained from a tooth from the remains identified Spann; the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed the identification.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
Spann assumed the Chad Patrick Singleton alias after escaping from the Hinds County detention facility in Raymond, Mississippi, in 1998, where he had been serving two years for cocaine possession.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
Witnesses said Spann left his Blountsville residence in October 2004 and did not return; the vehicle he was reportedly driving was later recovered behind a barn off Bangor Hollow Road.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
The remains were released to Spann’s family in Mississippi, but the investigation into his death continued.
Reported
Source: ABC 33/40 · Corroborated by 1 additional source: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
District Attorney Pamela Casey said evidence from the scene led investigators to suspect foul play.
Reported
Source: WBRC · Single-source claim.
The supplied NamUs record labels UP512 open and unresolved, while 2025 reports say the remains have been identified as Patrick Grayson Spann.
Disputed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Corroborated by 2 additional sources: https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-blount-county-remains-found-in-wooded-area-in-2005-inmate-patrick-grayson-spann-disappearance-october-2005-of-mississippi-man-february-2025, https://www.wbrc.com/2025/02/11/remains-found-nearly-20-years-ago-blount-county-identified-escaped-inmate-living-under-alias/
WBRC reported that the condition of the remains prevented an autopsy.
Reported
Source: WBRC · Single-source claim.
WBRC reported that Spann lived under the alias in Blountsville for approximately seven years.
Reported
Source: WBRC · Single-source claim.

Sources

NamUs official record UP512 — U.S. Department of Justice NamUsOpen
Body found in Alabama 20 years ago was escaped Mississippi inmate who lived under assumed identity — AL.comOpen
Remains discovered in Blount County identified as Mississippi escapee after 20 years — ABC 33/40Open
Remains found nearly 20 years ago in Blount County identified as escaped inmate living under alias — WBRCOpen
Escaped inmate assumed name identified remains Blount County — WVTM 13Open
New technology helping solve cold cases in Blount County — CBS 42Open
New technology helping solve cold cases in Blount County — WKRGOpen