DNA analysis and a familial reference sample has confirmed the second set of remains found in August 2024 alongside just-identified Ira Briscoe are in fact Limon Little, Briscoe’s missing roommate.
On March 18, familial reference standards confirmed one set of remains found wrapped and dumped in a cistern in rural Lanton, Miss., to be those of Ira Briscoe, a 25-year-old man who went missing in December 2020 under suspicious circumstances.
A second set of remains were found with Briscoe’s but remained unidentified until March 25, 2025. On Tuesday, the Howell County Sheriff’s Office received an official report from an outside laboratory that identified the second set of remains as Little. This conclusion was made after comparing a profile generated from the remains to a reference standard provided by Little’s sister. The probability was determined to be 99.33%.
Little went missing on Dec. 15, 2020—just two days before Briscoe. Investigators were initially hesitant to connect Briscoe and Little, unsure if they and their cases were connected. Still today, a Missouri State Highway Patrol missing flyer refers to Little as a “possible roommate” of Briscoe—although there have seen been multiple confirmations that the two men were indeed roommates at the time of their respective disappearances.
Howell County Sheriff Matt Roberts made contact with Little’s next-of-kin last week to update her on Briscoe’s identification. Yesterday, Roberts made the notification of Little’s confirmed identity, as well.
“At this time, the Howell County Sheriff’s Office continues to work leads, and is actively working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab on other submitted items of evidence. In addition to this, the FBI will be requested to aid in additional evidence testing/processing,” said the Howell County Sheriff's Office in a press release.
Previous coverage: Remains Identified as 1 of 2 Roommates Missing Since 2020
Published March 24, 2025