The months-long search for a missing Alexander County man has come to a somber conclusion in Lenoir. Police have confirmed that human remains found behind a storage facility in January belong to 59-year-old Jeffery Beach Laxton. The Lenoir Police Department announced last Thursday that confirmation from the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner verified the remains as Laxton’s. He had been reported missing since August of last year, according to WBTV.

Relating the circumstances of the discovery, QC News noted that Lenoir police responded to the site behind the former Lenoir Mall on January 21 after a report of remains in a wooded area. The subsequent investigation, which included aid from the NC State Bureau of Investigators, extended into the dawn of the next day with investigators processing the scene extensively for evidence. An absence of evidence pointing to foul play has been noted by officials in the ongoing investigation.

Jeffery Laxton was officially reported missing on August 22, 2024 by a family member in Alexander County, with his last known sighting being in the vicinity of the Caldwell Memorial Hospital, potentially operating a white 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. As efforts to comprehend Laxton's fate continue, authorities are reaching out to the public for any contact details post his disappearance. They encourage anyone with potentially useful information to contact the police department at 828-757-2100 or to call the Caldwell County Crime Stoppers at 828-758-8300, as reported by QC News.

A full autopsy and DNA analysis were crucial in identifying the remains, bringing closure to the case after nearly six months. WCNC reported that on January 22, investigators searched the woods in daylight to look for additional clues.