Authorities have identified human remains discovered earlier this month in a South Side Billings yard as those of a man who had been missing since 2021.
Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Valerie Juhl confirmed the remains found March 19 at a residence on 4th Avenue South belong to Ronald Lander, a 56-year-old man who had been reported missing.
Officials said Lander was transient at the time he disappeared.
The remains were discovered by a city code enforcement officer in the backyard of the property. Investigators determined that only skeletal remains were present, with clothing found in a decayed condition.
The cause and manner of death have not been determined. Authorities reported no signs of trauma on the bones, including no cuts, and noted that the hyoid bone in the neck was intact, factors that do not indicate foul play.
Billings police said the investigation into the death remains ongoing as officials continue working to determine how long the remains had been at the location.