UPDATE: Eaton police said Scottie Morris has been found safe.
EATON, Ind. – Rumors flew around the small town of Eaton late Thursday that human remains had been found as police searched for 14-year-old Scottie Morris.
The Eaton Police Department said the claims were false.
In an update posted Friday morning, the department said officers were dispatched to an “area of interest” Thursday night. However, they didn’t find any human remains.
Police said a fire pit and some bones had been located in the back of a barn near State Road 3, but forensic anthropologists confirmed the bones were those of an animal.
“Our investigatory search continues today to find Scottie,” the department wrote in the update.
Morris was last seen around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. He was last known to be wearing black shoes, red and black shorts and a white t-shirt with writing on the front.
A statewide Silver Alert remains in effect.
Over the past week, police and residents have participated in public searches for the missing teen, combing through wooded areas and empty homes in an effort to find him. Boats, drones and K9 units have also been deployed in the search.
The Eaton Police Department is working with several other law enforcement agencies, including Indiana State Police, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Police have also appealed for surveillance video from the night Morris disappeared.
The community gathered Thursday night for a candlelight prayer vigil that drew a large crowd hoping for the Delta Middle School student’s safe return.
Anyone with information should contact the Eaton Police Department at (765) 396-3297 or call 911.