The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating human skeletal remains discovered in the St. Joe River on Saturday afternoon, July 5, with authorities suspecting the remains may belong to a woman reported missing nearly seven months ago.
A kayaker alerted Patrol Sergeant Darius Dustin around 12:30 p.m. to the possible human remains located in a shallow lagoon area near mile marker 23 on St. Joe River Road, a few miles downstream from Calder. Law enforcement confirmed the remains were human and recovered them from the water.
Sheriff Shawn Wehr said authorities believe the remains may be those of Chantel Williams, 24, who was reported missing on December 13, 2025. Williams was last seen in the Marble Creek area of the St. Joe River region and was believed to have entered the water upstream from where the remains were found, according to eyewitness accounts. At the time of her disappearance, the river was running high and fast due to extreme flooding in the region, and Williams was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Search and Recovery Efforts
Silver Valley Search and Rescue participated in initial efforts to locate Williams following her disappearance last December. The discovery of the remains Saturday represents a potential breakthrough in a case that has remained unresolved for months.
The skeletal remains have been sent to the Spokane Medical Examiner’s Office for identification. Wehr said no positive identification has yet been made, though the office expects findings in the coming days.
Family Notification and Next Steps
“We have informed the family of Ms. Williams of our recovery, but we have not confirmed an identification yet,” Wehr said. He added that resolving the case remains a priority for the department, regardless of the medical examiner’s findings.
“No matter what the results are, we hope that by identifying the remains we can provide this person’s family with some closure,” Wehr stated.
The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation and will update the community once identification is confirmed and further details are available from the medical examiner.