The investigation began after the sheriff's office received a tip from a psychic who claimed that many bodies, including those of children, were in the house, said Liberty County Judge Craig McNair, the county's top elected official.
A quick search Monday night turned up nothing, authorities said. But the tipster called back Tuesday morning to say deputies had the wrong house, Evans said.
McNair said deputies found blood on a back door and detected a foul odor coming from the house, leading to the search warrant.
"We have to take tips like this very seriously," McNair said.
(Reuters) - Texas authorities on Tuesday have found up to 30 bodies, possibly all children, buried at a house in a rural county east of Houston, local media reported.
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office said 25 to 30 bodies were found, according to KPRC television.
Preliminary reports indicated the bodies are those of children, the TV station reported.
The sheriff did not immediately return telephone calls or e-mails by Reuters.
Investigators said someone told them about the location, but they did not elaborate, the station said.
Local paper Cleveland Advocate said the tipster told authorities dozens of dismembered bodies were buried at the scene.
(Reporting by Kristen Hays; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Editing by Sandra Maler)
Update at 9:50 p.m. ET: The sheriff's office had received two calls from a person who claimed to be a psychic and said dismembered bodies would be found on the property in Hardin, AP says. Capt. Rex Evans said authorities took the tip seriously in part because the caller had details about the interior of the house that only someone who had seen it could have known.
Authorities have a name and number and are trying to track down the caller.
Update at 9:39 p.m. ET: The Liberty County Sheriff's spokesman says cadaver dogs have not detected any bodies on a rural property about 70 miles northeast of Houston,
Update at 9:35 p.m. ET: A law enforcement source tells USA TODAY's Kevin Johnson that background checks of the occupants of the farmhouse in Hardin "came back clean."
Update at 8:27 p.m. ET: KPRC-TV talked to a neighbor who said the girl moved out Sunday and that the neighbor never saw anything suspicious.
The Cleveland Advocate, which carried the initial report of the bodies, spoke with a 16-year-old neighbor who was friends with the teen. She said her friend moved out last week.
Update at 8:10 p.m. ET: The property owner tells KHOU-TV that his daughter lives there and that blood on the porch is from a suicide attempt a couple of weeks ago by her former boyfriend, a U.S. soldier who was AWOL and is now in a military psychiatric ward in Killeen.
"This is like something out of a novel," he said.
Bankston said he's owned the property for a little over three years. He admitted his son, Joe, is a convicted sex offender, but said he hasn't lived in Hardin for more than a year. "Last I heard, he was in Ohio."
Update at 7:34 p.m. ET: USA TODAY's Oren Dorell reports that the search warrant is expected to arrive about 8 p.m. ET and that deputies will begin searching then.
"The details provided to us indicated there may have been a violent crime scene here," Sheriff's Capt. Rex Evans said.
Update at 7:27 p.m. ET: At a news conference earlier, Liberty County Sheriff's Capt. Rex Evans said that so far, authorities have "no evidence of deceased persons."
"We have found some circumstances that have raised some questions and we have requested a search warrant.
Update at 7:08 p.m. ET: Law enforcement sources tell CNN and CBS that bodies have been found. A federal source tells CNN at least 20; CBS' source says "a lot of bodies."
Liberty County sheriff's spokesman Capt. Rex Evans said that as of 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET), officers had not exhumed any bodies, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Update at 6:45 p.m. ET: Liberty County sheriff's officials said they found blood on the property. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the tip came from a psychic.
"All we know is the sheriff department received a call about a mass grave, or something like that, with several bodies," the source said. "They went and checked it, and there was nothing there. The caller went back and said, 'No, you went to the wrong house.'
The FBI is participating in the search.
Update at 6:34 p.m. ET: Authorities have brought in cadaver dogs to search a property in Hardin, The Cleveland Advocate reports. They acted after receiving a tip about bodies and a possible mass grave.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
Reminds me of why you police work is not done by psychics.
I can see one cop driving out for a look see but after the blood on a door they seem to have gathered a momentum unjustified by a tip from a psychic. That's the first time I've ever seen two headlines for the same incident so completely opposite. Seems very unprofessional.
I did like the drunk's idea........
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
Still, there's a million reasons for the presence of blood that don't end in mass graves. They should have handled it more rationally.
And they should find this psychic and take away her license... wait... anyone can claim to be psychic? They should call Cleo first next time to verify with her.
And they should find this psychic and take away her license... wait... anyone can claim to be psychic? They should call Cleo first next time to verify with her.
I would be more worried if we had state regulated psychics.
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