Dallas police confirm they are investigating a homicide after human remains were found in the backyard of an Oak Cliff house last month.
The Dallas County medical examiner still hasn't identified the remains found at the house, but Thursday night NBC 5 learned it appears to be a man who was murdered.
Police said nobody has seen the man who owned the home, a former driver for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, since April.
Police sources reveal to NBC 5 that someone forged homeowner Robert Shumway's signature in late June on a legal document authorizing the sale of his house in the 700 block of North Winnetka Avenue.
NBC 5 has been following this story since late September, when the new homeowner made a gruesome discovery in the backyard.
The new homeowner, who had only recently purchased the property, was doing renovation work in the backyard in an effort to flip the property, when he uncovered the remains.[[329299491,L]]
"It's totally a mystery to me. I'm so sad for whoever's remains they are. May they rest in peace," said Hector Escalante, who lives a block away and knew Shumway.
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Robert Shumway bought the house in 1984 and lived there for more than 30 years. Police said he hasn't been seen or heard from since April 23. He worked as a bus driver for years, but DART said they've had no contact with him.
And yet, his signature appears on the June 22 deed authorizing the sale to a Dallas real estate agent.
The deed was notarized by a licensed notary with an office in North Dallas. An NBC 5 crew visited the notary in her office Thursday afternoon.
The woman first said she didn't recall the name Shumway and has no recollection of meeting him.
When told that police said Shumway hasn't been since April, she said she had no further comment on the situation and asked our crew to leave.
Neighbors said Shumway was very quiet, almost reclusive. Several neighbors said Shumway would sometimes call the police for infractions like loud music and barking dogs.
"Honestly, nobody wanted to talk to him in his neighborhood. Like, nobody," Escalante said. "To me he was polite, but he seemed to have problems with a lot of neighbors around here."
Neighbors also said Shumway lived for years with his elderly mother, but they haven't seen her in a long time.
The Dallas real estate agent who bought the house sold the house again a month later.
NBC 5 has attempted to reach the real estate agent by phone and email Thursday, but he has not responded.
"I want answers. I want answers to what happened. They need to tell us who that person was," Escalante said. "Everybody, the whole neighborhood is uncomfortable now."
