House hunters go to view home and find dead body in back yard

Police have identified the victim as Essence Owens of Orlando, Florida

(Getty Images)

House hunters touring a home in rural Florida have discovered the body of a possible murder victim in the back yard.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call around 6 p.m. from a realtor who had been showing off a property to several interested buyers. The nearly 5-acre property is heavily wooded, with a small, two-bedroom home on one side, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

While touring the property, the realtor said, he and the house hunters discovered a dead body buried in a shallow grave in the back yard.

Responding officers discovered the human remains in a grave 30 to 40 feet behind the residence, Lieutenant John Herrell told WFTV9.

Deputies later identified the victim as 23-year-old Essence Owens, of Orlando, Florida. Ms Owens was reported missing to the Orlando Police Department on 15 August of this year. The young woman had been working in the sex trade and family members were concerned for her safety, according to News 6 Orlando.

Officials said whoever buried her body must have known the property well, as it located in a remote area. They added that the property had been abandoned for years. The owner reportedly lives in North Florida.

Officials are unsure how Ms Owens was killed, or how she ended up on the property.

“Definitely very strange,” Mr Herrell told WFTV9. “We’re glad that they found the remains and now we’re just hopeful that we can bring some closure to the case.”