The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating skeletal remains discovered in the St. Joe River on Sunday afternoon, with the sheriff indicating the remains may belong to a young woman who went missing from the area in December 2025.
A kayaker contacted authorities around 12:30 p.m. Sunday after spotting what appeared to be human remains near mile marker 23 on St. Joe River Road. Patrol Sgt. Darius Dustin responded to the scene and located the skeletal remains in a shallow lagoon a few miles downstream from Calder. The remains were confirmed to be human and have been sent to the Spokane Medical Examiner’s Office for formal identification.
Connection to Missing Woman
Sheriff Shawn Wehr said he believes the remains may belong to Chantel Williams, 24, who was reported missing on December 13, 2025. Williams was last seen in the Marble Creek area of the St. Joe River region. At the time of her disappearance, eyewitnesses reported seeing her enter the water upstream from where Sunday’s remains were recovered. Williams had been experiencing a mental health crisis, and the river was running high and fast due to extreme flooding conditions at the time she went missing.
Silver Valley Search and Rescue assisted in the original search efforts following Williams’ disappearance. Her family has been notified of Sunday’s discovery, though officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the remains.
Sheriff Wehr said his office is coordinating with the medical examiner’s office on next steps. “We’re awaiting the results from the Spokane Medical Examiner, who will call and communicate their office’s findings with our coroner,” he said.
Regardless of the outcome, Wehr expressed hope that a formal identification would bring some measure of relief to those affected. “No matter what the results are, we hope that by identifying the remains we can provide this person’s family with some closure,” he said.
What Comes Next
The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office expects findings from the Spokane Medical Examiner within the coming days. Once an official identification is made, the coroner will be notified and the family will receive a formal update. No additional details have been released pending those results.
North Idaho public safety agencies have faced a busy stretch in recent weeks. The Bonner County Ambulance District recently secured a $30,000 grant to bolster summer paramedic coverage across the region, a reflection of the increased emergency response demands that come with warmer months and elevated outdoor activity along North Idaho’s rivers and recreational areas.