Man arrested after skeletal remains found buried in Greenbelt trail: marshals
Melcolm Martin Lee
AUSTIN, Texas - A homeless man has been arrested for murder after skeletal remains were found buried in the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt in late November.
24-year-old Melcolm Martin Lee, also known as "Tanto," was arrested by US Marshals on Dec. 20 for a murder that happened earlier this spring in the 1200 block of S. 6th Street in Austin.
Law enforcement received multiple tips in late November that a murder had happened at a homeless camp in the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt, and that the victim had been buried there.
On Nov. 29, Austin police conducted a field search with a K-9 cadaver dog search team, which found human skeletal remains. The human remains were carefully recovered by members of the Austin Police Homicide Unit, Crime Scene Unit, and the Travis County Medical Examiner under direct supervision by the Texas State Anthropology Department.
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An autopsy was performed by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office which revealed injuries consistent with homicide.
On Dec. 12, the US Marshals were called in to find and apprehend Lee. A fugitive investigation led marshals to a homeless camp in the 3400 block of Parker Lane next to Mabel Davis District Park. Lee attempted to flee from officers and was taken into custody with the help of APD's K-9 unit.
Lee has been booked into the Travis County Jail on a $1 million bond.