Sheriff: Skeletal Remains Located in West Harrison Identified

Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 2:55 PM

The remains belonged to a Brookville woman that was swept away by flood waters last July.

Shutterstock photo.

(Dearborn County, Ind.) – The skeletal remains that were located along Pinhook Road in West Harrison on Tuesday have been identified.

According to the Dearborn County Sheriff's Office, the remains were identified as Virginia Pennington, 53, of Brookville.

Pennington and Hardy Harris were staying in a cabin on Wolf Creek in Franklin County on July 28 when they were swept away by flood waters.

Harris’ body was located about three-quarters of a mile away from the site just a day later. Indiana Conservation Officers extensively searched for Pennington’s remains but were unsuccessful.

Pennington’s remains were located by a property owner in the 1900 block of Pinhook Road, nearly 20 miles from the cabin site.

Sheriff Shane McHenry commended the Dearborn and Hamilton County Coroner’s Office in identifying the remains so quickly.

They did so by using a scientific comparison which included medical records and X-rays.

One Dead, One Missing After Being Swept Away by Floodwaters in Franklin Co.

Events

Legion Post 239 Fish Fry
Fish dinner 3 9oz Pollock, mac n cheese, coleslaw choice of bread wheat, rye, white. Tickets sold at bar $12. Serving at 11am until gone
Apr 3, 2026 at American Legion Post 239
Genealogy Roundtable: Searching the Web and Beyond!
Searching the Web and Beyond! Master the art of targeted searching to pinpoint records, navigate name variations, and eliminate clutter.
Apr 4, 2026
Al-Anon Meeting
Help for Friends and Family of a problem drinker. You know what it is doing to them, do you know what it is doing to you?
Apr 5, 2026 at Hamline Chapel United Methodist Church