Donald Cash: Remains of Alabama man found buried in son's backyard three months after he went missing

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

ALABAMA, FLORIDA: A 30-year-old man from Birmingham was arrested in connection with the death of his father, three months after his father was reported missing. The skeletal remains of the 52-year-old man were found in a makeshift grave in his son’s backyard.

Birmingham police, with the help of a cadaver dog, had located the dispersed human bones in November but were able to identify them as those of Donald Cash, father of Ledarius 'Tre' Cash, only on December 27.

Donald had been reported missing and was last seen around September 26, according to Law&Crime.

Police found human remains across Ledarius Cash's backyard

Ledarius Cash was arrested on December 29, and charged with the murder of his father, whom he allegedly shot to death.

This arrest on Friday represents the third time Ledarius Cash has been taken into custody in connection to his father’s disappearance. 

In November, officers apprehended him after executing a search warrant at his residence, leading to a grim discovery.

The skeletal remains of Donald Cash were uncovered, concealed under a “fresh pile of compost/topsoil” in an area designed to resemble a garden in the backyard of his son’s home.

A cadaver dog detected the bones, and a coroner, along with a medical examiner, confirmed that the remains were human.

At that point, Birmingham Police had not officially identified the remains as belonging to Donald Cash, but Ledarius Cash was arrested on a charge of abuse of a corpse, as indicated in police records.

His bond was set at $250,000, and he was released on bail within a matter of days.

Before the abuse of corpse arrest, police had arrested Cash on September 29, three days after his dad was reported missing. He was charged with receiving stolen property involving two handguns and was released on bond the same day.

Who was Donald Cash?

Donald Cash was the owner of a family-operated freight-hauling company named Cash and Sons Transport. 

He co-owned the business with Antonietta Johnson, his partner of nearly 30 years. When AL.com interviewed his family in November, Ledarius Cash received little mention, but Donald Cash's partner and daughter praised him as a "family man" who always "looked out for everybody" and had a perpetually cheerful demeanor.

Tatum Cash, Ledarius Cash's sister, shared with the outlet that when their father initially went missing, it was concerning and out of character. 

It felt as if he had "vanished from this earth." The last sighting of him alive was at his residence in Wylam, Alabama, engaged in one of his long-time favorite hobbies, working on one of his trucks. The truck was discovered a week later, less than 10 miles from his home.

Significantly, Ledarius Cash was arrested by the police and is currently detained in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. It remains unclear whether he has secured legal representation at this time.