An extensive search was conducted on April 19, 2025, and April 20, 2025, during which additional human remains were discovered in the area of Barger Road. The bones were collected and initially sent to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office for examination. With the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), DNA was extracted from the remains and positively identified as belonging to Roger Shane Bruce, a 51-year-old man who had been reported missing to the Brown County Sheriff's Office on January 23, 2022.

Zachary Scott was the last known person to see Bruce and was the individual who called 911 on January 21, 2022. He reported that Bruce was unresponsive inside a vehicle in Washington Township, Clermont County. Scott claimed Bruce had overdosed on heroin and that he had administered Narcan to revive him. During the 911 call, the line was disconnected. When Scott reconnected with dispatchers, he said Bruce had regained consciousness and fled the scene. However, when deputies arrived minutes later, neither Bruce nor Scott were present.

Multiple resources, including aerial units, K-9 teams, and the Dive Team, were deployed to search for Bruce. On June 25, 2022, the Texas EquuSearch and Recovery Team (Midwest Division), joined by Bruce’s family and the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, searched several areas in Washington Township, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Detectives interviewed Zachary Scott multiple times to determine Bruce’s whereabouts. During an interview on January 24, 2022, Scott altered his account of the events and his involvement, leading to charges of Obstructing Official Business and Falsification.

On February 15, 2022, while serving a 60-day jail sentence for Falsification, Scott requested to speak with detectives and provided a new possible location for Bruce’s body. That location, however, was false. As a result, Scott was again charged with Falsification and Tampering with Evidence. He later pleaded guilty to two Falsification counts and was sentenced to an additional200 days in the Clermont County Jail.

On September 1, 2022, Scott was indicted by a Clermont County Grand Jury. The indictment included:

• One count of Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony of the first-degree 
• One count of Gross Abuse of a Corpse, a felony of the fifth degree
• One count of Corrupting Another with Drugs, a felony of the second degree
• One count of Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree

On September 13, 2023, Zachary Scott of Washington Township, now 32 years old, pleaded guilty to charges of Tampering with Evidence and Abuse of a Corpse. Judge Victor M. Haddad in Clermont County Common Pleas Court sentenced him to five years in prison. 

Detectives continue collaborating with the Clermont County Coroner and the Clermont County Prosecutor’s office. Once all medical findings have been reviewed, the case will be thoroughly evaluated. If additional criminal charges are deemed appropriate, an update will be provided.

"I am deeply grateful to all the agencies that dedicated countless resources over the years to bring a sense of closure to Shane’s friends and family. From the outset to the discovery of Shane’s remains, their unwavering commitment demonstrated the power of collaboration between law enforcement and the community. I hope this news offers some measure of peace to his loved ones, who have endured the unimaginable and now face an irreplaceable loss."

— Chris Stratton, Sheriff

Original Release

Human remains found in Washington Township.

On April 19, 2025, at 2:47 p.m., the Clermont County Communications Center received a 911 call from a property owner in the 1500 block of Barger Road, Washington Township. The caller reported that she had given a neighbor permission to search for mushrooms on her land, during which he discovered what appeared to be human remains. According to the caller, several bones were located, which appear human.

Deputies from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office arrived at 2:56 p.m., confirmed the discovery, and secured the scene. Detectives from the Sheriff's Investigative Unit arrived at 3:35 p.m., followed by an investigator from the Clermont County Coroner’s Office. Sheriff's Office Drone and Crime Scene Unit members also assisted with evidence collection and interviews. The area was processed and secured for a more detailed search.

The Sheriff's Office requested additional search and recovery resources, including the EquuSearch Midwest Team, comprised of members from Cincinnati Search and Recovery (CSAR) and Rescue 101 Search and Rescue.

On April 20, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., approximately twenty members of the EquuSearch Midwest Team began coordinating with the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit to conduct a comprehensive search of the area. A pathologist from the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office is also on-site to assist in distinguishing human remains from animal remains.

Any bones confirmed to be human will be transported to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office for further identification.

The investigation remains ongoing. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.