Skeletal remains identified as 19-year-old Florida man reported missing nearly a decade ago

The nine-year search for Jacob Lyon has ended after authorities confirmed on Monday that skeletal remains found in a wooded area of Florida’s Panhandle in 2022 belong to the missing 19-year-old.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that DNA testing confirmed the remains found in Miramar Beach in October 2022 belong to Lyon, who was 19 years old when his mother reported him missing in February 2016.

“This is not the result our community hoped for,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “For his family, we hope there is peace in knowing Jacob has been found.”

Investigators said a man clearing wooded land in Miramar Beach discovered skeletal fragments on Oct. 20, 2022. Deputies and the District 1 Medical Examiner responded to the scene and began efforts to identify the remains.

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From 2022 through 2024, the medical examiner worked to determine the victim’s identity but ultimately requested assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) due to the condition of the remains. Authorities said DNA testing was complicated by years of environmental exposure and degradation.

FDLE confirmed the remains were a positive match for Lyon earlier this month, the sheriff’s office said.

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Jacob’s disappearance triggered years of investigation by the Niceville Police Department, which pursued leads and tips but never located him. Authorities did not say where Lyon was last seen or how he may have ended up in Walton County.

Investigators said the case remains active.

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“The work does not end here,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that deputies will continue working with Niceville police to determine how Jacob died.