One of the three men seen leaving a Kentucky bar with a mom who vanished months ago, claimed innocence as authorities confirmed remains found on a rural Garrard County property are of Savannah Spurlock.
Courier Journal reports that Kentucky State Police Public Affairs Officer, Robert Purdy, confirmed Thursday that authorities found 23-year-old Savannah buried outside on a property close to the intersection of Fall Lick Road and Perkins Lane in Lancaster.
An arrest citation stated that a man smelled a “foul odor” coming from his property on Wednesday and contacted his attorney. The property reportedly belongs to the parents of 24-year-old David Sparks, who was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Sparks was spotted on security footage leaving with Savannah from The Other Bar in Lexington on January 4. It’s the last known time Savannah was seen alive. Two other men reportedly accompanied Savannah and Sparks as they left the bar, although authorities have yet to release their names.
Sparks, who is due back due back in Garrard County District Court on Monday for a probable cause hearing, pleaded not guilty to the charges during his first appearance on Thursday.
“These items were last known to be in the control of only two individuals, the missing person, and the above,” an arrest citation read, according to WKYT.
Authorities previously searched the Garrard property months ago but came up empty-handed. Purdy indicated that so far there’s no evidence that anyone recently moved the remains to the property.
“I don’t believe there’s any indication that she was placed there recently……I think that the odor (from the remains) … that’s what led us there.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Assistant Police Chief Rodney Richardson of Richmond PD said in January that the car Savannah drove to the bar on January 4 was left behind, along with her purse and coat inside.
Surveillance footage captured on the night in question showed Savannah holding her purse while walking with the men. However, she may have put her purse in her car before leaving with them.
“There was a purse found in a car that Savannah took to Lexington,” Richardson said. “We do not have her cellphone. We would like to have her cellphone. We are looking for her and the cellphone, but we know for sure the cellphone went out of service around 8:30 – 8:45 that morning. How it went out of service we don’t know, but we know that it did and it hasn’t been turned back on.”
Spurlock, a mother of four, gave birth to twins in December. Her mother, Ellen Spurlock, who lived with her daughter in Richmond, was babysitting the children the night Spurlock went out. Ellen Spurlock told ABC she spoke to her daughter on via FaceTime at around 3 a.m. the morning she disappeared. The worried mother said she could hear other people in the car with Spurlock, but her daughter seemed fine.
“She seemed okay,” Ellen Spurlock said. “She told me she was fine. When I asked her where she was, she said she was in Lexington. She promised she’d be home later that morning. She did not seem out of the ordinary.”
Ellen Spurlock added that her daughter “hardly went anywhere” and is “a very responsible individual.” She also thinks the men are not being full forthcoming, according to Lexington Herald.
“I think the guys she was with know more than they are saying. Their story doesn’t make sense. She left with no money, no car, no coat, no phone in a different county than where she lives. It’s not like her.”
A cause of death is pending.
The story is developing. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
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[Feature Photo: Savannah Spurlock/Facebook]
