Remains of one of two missing Wisconsin brothers possibly found in stock trailer in Nebraska

Authorities may have found remains of one of two Wisconsin farmers who disappeared last summer hidden in a dirt-filled stock trailer purchased by a rancher in Nebraska.

Garland Joseph Nelson, 25, was charged in October with two counts of murder in the deaths of Nicholas and Justin Diemel, Wisconsin brothers who were owners of a livestock company. The brothers had been in Missouri for a cattle deal and were reported missing in July after they missed a flight.

But on Friday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska said that a rancher south of Hershey reported he found human remains in a stock trailer he recently purchased in Missouri.

Deputies found a large dirt-filled plastic animal supplement tub, which the rancher had found in the trailer, the sheriff’s office said. When the rancher took the tub out of the trailer and started to spread the dirt in his driveway, he saw what he believed were human remains and other items in the tub, authorities said.

Deputies confirmed the remains were human and also noticed personal items in the tub. They were able to confirm that the remains possibly belonged to one of the Diemel brothers, the office said.

The deputies then contacted the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri, the lead agency in the homicide investigation, which confirmed the remains could belong to the brothers. Caldwell County Investigators and Missouri state police flew into Lincoln County on Friday night and picked up the remains, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said.

CNN has not been able to reach either law enforcement office for additional comment.

In addition to the murder charges, Nelson was also charged with two counts each of armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with a motor vehicle and a count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The murder charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison or death.

He has been in custody since early August when he was charged with tampering with a vehicle after a truck rented by the brothers was found in a commuter lot and he admitted driving it there.

Other remains of the brothers were found on Nelson’s farm days after they went missing, authorities said.

Nelson has previously waived his formal arraignment, CNN affiliate WBAY reported.