Trooper Paul Blanton said Hager had not been charged in any crime related to the remains found Friday. However, the fact Hager lived on the property and the timeline of his departure have given authorities reason to look into his possible involvement, the state police spokesman said.
According to Blanton, authorities did not know the age or identity of the body and likely wouldn't for several days while an autopsy was completed by the state medical examiner in Frankfort. Police obtained the warrant after one of the property owners contacted them Friday about an odor coming from the area of the barn.
Hager previously lived with his wife Crystal Hager in the trailer, which was owned by her parents who lived in another home nearby on the same property. Crystal Hager, 32, died of what authorities ruled an accidental prescription drug overdose in the trailer in January.
Neighbors said Hager's former mother-in-law, Surenna Sizemore, lives in the other home on the property, but was not there at the time authorities served the warrant.
Blanton said Hager finally moved out of the trailer March 9.
Family members of Clint Disken say he had been living with Hager in the trailer up until he was last seen or heard from. Patricia Devine said Thursday that Hager and Disken stopped by her Harrodsburg home March 3 on their way to a restaurant in Frankfort.
Two days later, though, Devine said Hager told her Disken had left the home abruptly in the middle of the night. Disken, 31, has made no known contact with friends or family members in the time since. Police say his financial accounts were last accessed March 4.
Disken’s sister, Billie Jo Carrier, said Saturday authorities were in contact with the family after the body was found, but they don’t know yet whether it is Disken.
Blanton declined to speculate about whether the body could be Disken. He said he could not comment on any statements Hager may have made related to the remains, including whether Hager confessed to a crime or helped lead them to the body.
So far, the case is not classified as a homicide, which could change depending on the autopsy results.
“Right now we have a death investigation and we have a missing person investigation,” Blanton said, referencing the search for Disken. He said the coroner's findings would determine how the case would proceed.
Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum said the body had probably been in the cellar for at least a month. He said it was too early to know the cause of death or if there were any signs of trauma.
Marcum said he did not know how long it would take for the autopsy to be completed, but it could take several days.
Neighbors congregated on the porches and lawns of homes near the crime scene Friday, looking on warily as law enforcement moved in and out of the trailer and the barn where the remains were found.
William Shackelford and his wife Angie, who have lived next door to 55 Fairlane Ave. since 1993, said the police tape and a yard teeming with law enforcement was eerily reminiscent of the scene following Crystal Hager’s death. Despite rumors that have circulated about how she died, the husband and wife both said they were shaken by what they heard this week about a man who had only been friendly and helpful while living next door.
“He always seemed like a good guy,” Shackelford said. “He kind of kept to himself, but we never had any problems with him.”
The investigation is being conducted by Det. Monte Owens. State police were assisted by the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office, Boyle County Sheriff’s Department, Danville Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.
Clint Disken is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. He usually wore his hair short, may have a goatee and often wore a baseball hat. Anyone with information about Disken's whereabouts is asked to call the state police post in Richmond at (859) 623-2404.
