A 19-year-old Indialantic man accused of dumping a suitcase containing human remains in a Brevard County field known as 'the Compound' has been released on bond. Lucas Sandler Jones was charged with tampering with evidence, abuse of a dead body, and transporting a human body in an unauthorized container after investigators found the remains inside a suitcase along with a kitchen knife and an Amazon package addressed to him. The discovery came after police noticed vultures circling an abandoned suitcase in the field. The case remains active, and officials said more charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
The remains were linked to 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, a registered sex offender who was reported missing by his mother two weeks ago. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Daniel was last seen March 20 when he visited a friend’s house but failed to return home. Investigators connected Jones to Daniel after finding the remains and are examining whether the two were involved in the missing person’s disappearance.
Jones’ girlfriend told police she saw Daniel lying in Jones’ bed the day he disappeared and watched Jones attempt to wake him before she went to the bathroom. She said when she returned, Jones told her Daniel had already left the residence. The following day, she drove Jones to the Compound, where she observed him dropping off two tote containers. Police did not release details about the containers’ contents beyond what was found in the suitcase.
Authorities said they are waiting for an autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office to confirm the identity of the remains. The Palm Bay Police Department did not specify a timeline for when new information would be made public. Jones has not cooperated with police interviews, but his girlfriend’s account is being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. No charges have been filed in connection to Daniel’s disappearance yet.