ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two siblings have been arrested and charged in the death of William Mason, the Parma man who disappeared back in May and whose remains were eventually located on his property inside a fire pit.
Mason’s stepchildren, Lance and Dawn Mitchel, were taken into custody Friday morning on Trimmer Road.
Lance is facing a second-degree murder charge, while he and Dawn are both charged with tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse.
Mason went missing on May 25, prompting the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to launch a massive search.
The incident quickly turned into a homicide investigation and several search warrants were executed. One at the Trimmer Road home where the Mitchel siblings were taken into custody and the other at a bait shop in Rochester.
Mason’s remains were eventually found in a fire pit on his family's plot of land. Prosecutors say it was located outside Dawn's home.
Both Lance and Dawn Mitchel pleaded not guilty to charges against them. Lance is being held without bail. Dawn is being held with bail set at $150,000 cash, $500,000 bond and $1 million partially secured bond.
They’ll be back in court in December for a pre-trial conference.