Pitt County deputies discovered a wrecked pickup in a culvert on rural family property Monday, with a body inside. The man was later identified as 51-year-old Joseph W. Worthington III of Ayden, who had been reported missing earlier in the week. Detectives have opened a death investigation, and the body has been sent to the medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death.
According to The Charlotte Observer, Worthington was last seen on Saturday, Feb. 7, and his family filed a missing person report on Feb. 8. The outlet reports that deputies officially identified the deceased as Worthington on Feb. 10, marking the end of a days-long search that started as a routine missing person case.
WITN reported that deputies found the wrecked pickup around noon on Monday, Feb. 9, on family property off Stokestown-St. Johns Road near Hanrahan Road. The truck was lodged in a culvert and "could not be seen from the roadway," according to the outlet, which notes that investigators with the Major Crimes and Forensic Services units were called out to comb through the scene.
WBTV relayed a statement from the sheriff’s office that investigators are not releasing details on how deputies located the vehicle. The statement adds that Worthington’s body was released to the medical examiner’s office for further evaluation as detectives work to determine how he died.
Investigation underway
The Pitt County Sheriff's Office has not said whether foul play is suspected, and detectives continue to process the scene while the medical examiner evaluates the remains, according to The Charlotte Observer. Officials say they plan to release the medical examiner's findings once they are available, leaving key questions about the crash and Worthington’s final hours still unanswered for now.
