A 20-year-old Indiana man who reported his mother missing is now accused of killing her and attempting to destroy evidence by burning her remains in their backyard, according to court documents.
Nicholas Yates was taken into custody after deputies investigating his missing-person report for Cheryl Yates discovered what appeared to be human bones, including a spinal column inside a burn pit behind the family’s home in Vermillion County.
Police records show Yates filed the missing-person report on October 5, claiming he had last seen his mother two days earlier. He told deputies he had been calling her phone, though it was found inside the house. When asked about the device, Yates claimed he had sold it “because he needed the money.”
Officers became more suspicious when Yates refused to let them enter the home, saying two people were staying in his mother’s bedroom and that he needed to ask their permission first.
During questioning, a deputy noted Yates referred to his mother in the past tense, calling her “the sweetest person,” which raised further concern.
Yates showed deputies a phone app allegedly tracking his mother’s last location at a local bingo hall on October 3. However, he later admitted it was actually him at the hall using her phone. He said he later sold the device at a Kroger kiosk.
When officers were finally allowed inside the house, they noticed Cheryl Yates’ daily pill organizer had not been used since the morning of October 3. Outside, deputies found a smoldering pile of papers, which Yates claimed belonged to his mother.
Investigators later spoke with Cheryl Yates’ supervisor, who said she left work early on October 3, saying she was going to “kill him” — apparently referring to her son, who she claimed had been spending excessively while she covered household bills.
Two people Yates said were living with him told deputies they had not accompanied him to the Kroger kiosk, contradicting his statement. They said Yates had spent the day in the attic and later paid for meals and shopping trips with cash that weekend.
After obtaining a search warrant, deputies found Cheryl’s clothes missing but her medication still inside the house. In the backyard burn pit, they discovered bones — including a section resembling a human spinal column.
Confronted with the evidence, Yates eventually confessed to striking his mother in the throat during an argument after she asked him to move out. According to the affidavit, “her face turned blue” and she fell backward, hitting her head on a metal bed frame and a wooden chest before becoming unresponsive.
Yates told police he hid the body overnight, then moved it to the burn pit the next day, where he set it on fire. He also admitted selling his mother’s phone and computer to an electronics store.
Authorities charged Nicholas Yates with one count of murder on October 7. He remains in custody without bond. His trial in Vermillion County Circuit Court is scheduled for February 24, 2026.
The case has drawn significant public attention across Indiana as investigators continue to process forensic evidence from the scene and analyze digital records.
