FRANKLIN, Venango County — Police continue to investigate the cause of death of a woman whose badly decomposed body was found in Polk Borough last week, and arrested a man in Missouri in connection with her suspicious death.

State police charged Clayton J. Hindman, 48, Saturday with aggravated assault, possession of a crime instrument with intent, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Hindman turned himself in to authorities Saturday in Missouri and is being held there.

The investigation started Thursday in Polk when Hindman's daughter contacted state police at the Franklin station and said she hadn't heard from her father in a few weeks. He wasn't home, according to a police complaint.

Upon arriving at Hindman's home to conduct a welfare check, officers were met with a “foul odor” and found the “badly decomposed” body of a woman inside. Police said in the criminal complaint they believe the dead woman is Salina Poppy Chilson, a 38-year-old Parker resident who was reported missing on July 3.

Hindman's house was locked and a landlord let them in. Police discovered the woman's body covered in a blanket down to the knees. The woman, who police suspected to be Chilson, had a pistol in her left hand with the safety on. Drops of blood were spattered between the living room and kitchen area, and a human tooth was found on the kitchen floor.

Police believe the body is Chilson's because a necklace on the body matched one that Chilson owned. Chilson's purse and driver's license also were discovered at the home. Police interviewed people who knew Hindman, and they said they hadn't seen him at or near the home in several weeks.

The same day, a Pittsburgh pathologist conducted an autopsy, finding a bullet. A shell casing also was found.

A police report did not indicate in which part of the body the bullet was found. The coroner estimated the woman had been dead for several weeks, according to the police report. Pending a DNA test, authorities are unable to verify the woman's identity. The autopsy also found the woman's lower jawbone was broken in three spots.

Dennis Dirkmaat, a forensic anthropologist at Mercyhurst College in Erie, is assisting in the investigation. He said the woman's jawbone could have been broken for a number of reasons, including blunt force trauma or a gun shot.

Dirkmaat said that he and his team expect to receive the remains later this week at their Mercyhurst facility, where they will inspect the body.

“We will look at it a little more thoroughly. First, we'll remove the soft tissue and look at the bones to figure out why it's broken,” Dirkmaat said.

In the meantime, Hindman is being held for charges related to the death.

According to the police report, right before Hindman turned himself in to Missouri authorities, he allegedly spoke by phone with Pennsylvania troopers and said he was “freaking out and just scared.” The report further alleges he told investigators he didn't want to say too much without an attorney, and later said, “I know I'm in trouble.”

Hindman was with his girlfriend when he turned himself in. Deputies with Ava County Sheriff's Office interviewed the girlfriend.

According to the police report, the girlfriend told authorities that Hindman told her he killed a man in his apartment. After she learned of Chilson going missing, she said she convinced Hindman to turn himself in to police.

Sheriff Chris Degase confirmed Monday that Hindman has been detained at the request of Pennsylvania State Police.

Authorities started the process of extraditing Hindman back to Venango County. As of Monday, Degase said he hadn't received paperwork from Venango authorities requesting Hindman's extradition.

Degase noted Hindman could refuse to sign an extradition bond, which would trigger a legal dispute between Hindman and authorities. He added that Hindman has made no indication as to what he will do.

Hindman awaits a preliminary hearing for the charges. The Venango district attorney didn't return a request for a comment, and Hindman doesn't have a lawyer posted on his court record.