Remains found in central Georgia have been identified as those of a 77-year-old man who went missing just after Thanksgiving three years ago.
Joe Frank Ussery, known to his community as Mr. Joe, was reported missing from his Jones County home Nov. 27, 2016. His family was out of town for the holiday, the Macon Telegraph reported.
In the days that followed, authorities performed an exhaustive search on the ground and by air, but Ussery was never located, according to Sheriff Butch Reece. Investigators chased down tips that led them out of the state to no success.
Human remains were found two years later in a densely wooded area off Damascus Church Road, not far from Ussery’s home. A hunter spotted the remains in October 2018 and alerted authorities, who sent them to the Georgia Department of Forensic Sciences for review.
The remains were not positively identified as Ussery’s until last week, Reece said. It is not known how Ussery died.
“Mr. Joe was well known throughout Jones County, and was often seen visiting businesses around Gray,” Reece said on Facebook. “His visits were enjoyed by all. We would like to express our condolences to the family of Mr. Joe.”
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