Kanawha County teen Shayln Harvey identified after remains found in Big Chimney

Shayln Shantel Harvey was identified after human remains found at a Big Chimney residence were matched to the 16-year-old girl, a grim turn that shifted the case from a missing-person search into a homicide investigation. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said the identification was made during an autopsy on May 18, after female remains recovered on the property were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The search that led to the discovery happened on May 15 at 355 Offutt Drive, the Big Chimney property where Harvey lived. Deputies executed a warrant there after investigators said interviews, evidence collection and multiple leads pointed them back to the home. Cadaver K-9 teams from WV K-9 Search and Rescue also assisted in the search.

The discovery came only days after Harvey disappeared. She was last seen in the Big Chimney area on Saturday, May 2, wearing black sweatpants and a blue shirt, and her disappearance was reported on May 4. The missing-person bulletin described her as 5-foot-3, about 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. It also said she may have left in a blue early-2000s Dodge Ram pickup truck. The notice identified a wrist tattoo reading “4-19-19 Lena B.” and a necklace with a letter “J” charm.

Authorities have not released a cause of death, but they have said the case is being investigated as an active homicide. Investigators have continued to interview witnesses, process evidence and follow leads, and they have asked anyone with information to contact the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau or leave a tip online. The sheriff’s office also extended condolences to Harvey’s family and friends as the case moved from a search for a missing teen to a death investigation.

The case has also drawn attention because of the arrest of Harvey’s stepfather, James Truman, on May 8 on child-sex-abuse charges. A criminal complaint reportedly says Truman admitted to sex crimes while deputies were interviewing him about Harvey’s disappearance. Local reporting said he was being held at South Central Regional Jail on $100,000 bail, and some reports also noted an incest-related charge. He has not been charged in Harvey’s death.

What started as a missing-teen bulletin in Big Chimney ended with a body on Offutt Drive and a homicide case that is still wide open. The remains have now been named, but the question that matters most has not been answered yet: what happened inside that house, and who will be held accountable.