AMHERST, Wis. (WSAU) - Portage County deputies are searching a house in Amherst for the remains of a woman missing for thirty years.

Three people accused of fraudulently cashing the woman's social security checks for the past 30 years made their court appearances on Thursday. Charles Jost, Ronald Disher and Delores Disher all face charges of forgery and party to the crime of forgery. Prosecutors say the three have been cashing the checks of Marie Jost since 1982 when she was last seen.

Portage County deputies got a request to find Jost and her son Theodore after a number of communications between Social Security and Marie had not been returned. Officers arrested the three after being told that Marie and Theodore were on vacation when officers arrived to do a check on them.

Ronald and Delores also face charges of threatening an officer after Ronald pulled a sharpened file on an officer who arrived to question them.

Officials in Portage County are reporting that there's reason to believe that Marie may be buried in the backyard of the Amherst home. The state crime lab is searching the location, and reports say that cadaver dogs are now on site and looking for clues.

The case remains under investigation.