Skeletal Remains Found In 2007 Identified As Sarasota Woman: Sheriff

SARASOTA, FL — Skeletal remains found in 2007 have been identified as a Sarasota woman never reported missing.

Investigators are seeking information about the victim, Jeana Burrus, or her husband, James Burrus, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The remains of a woman were found buried in a shallow grave in a wooded area of Ashton Court in Sarasota on Feb. 6, 2007.

The case remained cold until November 2022, when SCSO, working with DNA Labs International, Inc., used DNA testing and genetic genealogy to identify the remains.

Jeana Lynn Burrus was 39 years old at the time of her death, the sheriff’s office said. She lived in the 6200 block of Pauline Avenue in Sarasota with her husband and son, James Burrus, Jr.

She was unemployed at the time of her death and her husband worked at a local body shop in the 5600 block of Sarah Avenue in Sarasota. Their son attended Gulf Gate Elementary School from 2005 to 2006.

Before moving to Sarasota, the family lived in Citrus County, Florida, and Frederick, Maryland.
Jeana was never reported missing and her whereabouts hadn’t been questioned, complicating the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone who might have known either Jeana or James Burrus or has information about her death is asked to contact SCSO Detective Brian Ng at 941-861-4900.