CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Samuel Byrd, the common-law husband of Amanda Gordon, the Cedar Park mom who disappeared one week ago, has been charged with murder.
And Cedar Park police say they’re ‘confident’ skeletal remains found in Bastrop County are those of Gordon. Police say the remains were found in two different areas, including a burn pit — indicated “measures were taken to burn the body.”
Final confirmation of the remains is yet to come.
Byrd was initially placed in custody for tampering with evidence, and drug related charges.
BACKGROUND: Cedar Park man accused of tampering with, disposing of partner’s body
Inside Amanda Gordon’s home on Cypress Lane, police found evidence of blood in a bedroom, a bathroom and the shed out back.
On Thursday, Steve Toland, the attorney for the family that owns the property in Cedar Creek, says that it’s “our understanding that they may have found some remains.”
According to Toland, the family wasn’t familiar with Byrd aside from a few construction jobs he’d done. He says Byrd knew the family had 150 acres and asked a family member if he could go on the back of the property to go hunting.
Toland says it’s not uncommon for people to go hunting in that area, so no suspicions were raised and he’d been granted permission.
Family and friends remember Amanda Gordon
There are a lot of players in this investigation: Samuel Byrd, his brother who told police he helped clean up after her death and a woman who police say showed them a bag with a gun and Amanda’s phone Byrd allegedly asked her to hide.
Amanda’s loved ones are anticipating a break in this case and are searching for closure.
Amanda Gordon worked at Thundercloud Subs with Trevor McMahan for years. It was there that her friend Trevor heard all about her common-law husband Samuel Byrd.
“There were many times she would tell us that she was too scared to leave because he would kill her,” said McMahan. “I remember her telling me that he had to delete me off her Facebook because I tried taking the GPS tracker off her car.”
Court documents show police got a story from Samuel Byrd’s brother that Samuel and Amanda were doing drugs together the night before Amanda went missing — and Samuel woke up to find her dead on the floor.
McMahan says that couldn’t have been the case.
“She was against using drugs completely. There is no possible way in my mind that she could have overdosed,” said McMahan.
MORE: Children of missing Cedar Park woman back in family custody
Police continue the search for her body, which may include a property in Cedar Creek. It’s managed by a man who contracted with Samuel Byrd. KXAN talked to him and he confirmed police were searching his property Wednesday evening, but he says he doesn’t know what they found.
Meanwhile, as Amanda’s family and friends are waiting for answers, they’re remembering her as: “a great employee, a great friend, a great person,” said McMahan.
Cedar Park Police say they plan to brief reporters sometime after 5 p.m. Thursday.
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