Skeletal Remains of Justin Plaggemeyer Identified in Spearfish Investigation

Justin Plaggemeyer, a 42-year-old resident of Spearfish who has been missing since January 2021, was identified through skeletal remains. In December, skeletal remains were discovered in Spearfish, which were confirmed to be of Justin through DNA testing.

The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office received a call on December 10 about skeletal remains found outside Spearfish as reported by Black Hills FOX. In response to the call for the search, several authorities including Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office went to the woods where the remains were found.

The family of Justin Plaggemeyer, who had come into Spearfish from out of town, discovered it and informed the local authorities about the same. The unique nature of the case also required the work of the San Diego police homicide unit to carry out the investigation.

A report of skeletal remains found in the remote wooded area outside Spearfish occurred on December 10, 2023. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office initially investigated the report. Following that, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Lawrence County Coroner’s Office worked with the investigation.

All four agencies are actively trying to find out the identity of the remains and establish the reasons for the death of Justin Plaggemeyer as reported by News Center 1. Following DNA laboratory testing, the skeletal remains were identified as those of Justin Plaggemeyer, who had been missing since January 2021.

In a related incident, San Diego police revealed that a body found in a freezer last month may belong to Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones. The 81-year-old lady had either gone missing or passed away for a possible nine years.

Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones, a former nurse anesthetist in San Diego, worked for nearly two decades before resigning in 1999. After years of not speaking to relatives, her body was discovered inside a freezer at a residence where she had lived before as reported by the LA Times.

The discovery was made when out-of-town family members reported finding the body in December at a residence on the 4900 block of Zion Avenue. Despite no missing person’s report ever being filed for Haxby-Jones, authorities are treating the case as a suspicious death.

They encourage anyone with information about her or who knew her to come forward as they continue their investigation.