The community of Pelham, Alabama, was gripped with concern and uncertainty when 36-year-old Oscar De Santiago Soto was last seen in Montevallo. On the afternoon of June 18th, he was observed driving his pickup truck, a familiar sight to those who knew him. After that sighting, however, he seemingly vanished, and a period of anxious waiting began for his loved ones. The lack of communication and his sudden absence were out of character, sparking immediate fears for his safety and well-being.
The days that followed were filled with a deepening sense of dread as there were no new leads or any indication of his whereabouts.
The search for Oscar De Santiago Soto came to a heartbreaking conclusion when his remains were discovered inside his Ford Ranger pickup truck. The vehicle had been deliberately concealed, found burned and buried within a pit on a property located in the 2000 block of Randolph Road. The grim discovery confirmed the worst fears of his family and the community, transforming a missing person investigation into a homicide case. The violent nature of his death sent shockwaves through the area, leaving many to grapple with the senseless loss of a man in the prime of his life.
The investigation into the death of Oscar De Santiago Soto led to the indictment of 56-year-old John Wesley Collum on a charge of capital murder-for-hire. Authorities allege that Collum was motivated by financial gain to kill Soto. Further investigation revealed a calculated effort to conceal the crime, with investigators claiming that a backhoe was used to bury and set fire to both Soto's body and his truck. The grand jury indictment also included charges of hindering prosecution, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence. The indictment suggests the involvement of at least two other individuals in the burial of the remains, though their identities have not been publicly disclosed by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. As the legal proceedings against Collum move forward, the case remains a tragic story of a life cut short by violence and a community left to mourn a profound loss.Last Seen: Jun 18, 2025
