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Remains believed to be that of missing Palmetto woman, Tricia Freeman, found in Levy County

Posted at 5:15 PM, Mar 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-21 06:02:15-04

BREAKING UPDATE | March 20--

The Palmetto Police Department says human remains believed to be those of Tricia Freeman have been found in Levy County, Florida.

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office has been assisting the Palmetto Police Department since Saturday, searching for Patricia Freeman’s body. Palmetto Police Detectives and members of the Manatee County Homicide Task Force are in Levy County, at the crime scene.

The Palmetto Police chief said they were able to determine the location based on interviews with Freeman's daughter and boyfriend.

ORIGINAL STORY | Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said a woman missing since last week has died as a result of foul play.

According to the Chief, 26-year-old Roy Nichols Jr. confessed to law enforcement officials in West Virginia that he murdered Trisha Freeman in her home Tuesday.

Nichols told authorities he got into an argument with Freeman and she died in a struggle.

Chief Tyler says Nichols and Kayla Colyer, Freeman's 21-year-old daughter, loaded Freeman's body into her vehicle and disposed of her body at another location in the state. The location was not released.

Tyler said Nichols told WV officials Colyer was not home at the time of the murder.

On Friday, Freeman's vehicle was found abandoned at a park in Ashland, Ky. Nichols and Colyer were spotted on surveillance cameras in Ohio.

Saturday, Nichols and Colyer were taken into custody in West Virginia based on a warrant issued in Florida. 

Freeman was reportedly last seen Monday. Her friends reported her missing after she failed to show up for work at IHOP.  When friends went to her home, they found her beloved pets unattended to, which they said Freeman would never do. 

The chief declined to provide many details about the apparent homicide, including the whereabouts of Freeman's body.

Tyler said investigators did find evidence at Freeman's house that suggested a struggle occurred there. The couple is expected to be extradited to Florida this week.

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