FELLSMERE, Fla. — Human remains found earlier month in Fellsmere have been identified as a 34-year-old man who was reported missing, police said Friday.
Investigators said the remains found Oct. 9 in a vacant lot were positively identified as Marty Ray Crawford Jr.
An autopsy was conducted on Oct. 11, but police said the cause of death is still unknown as they await toxicology results, which can take up to 12 weeks.
Police said a medical examination revealed that the mostly skeletal remains had been in place anywhere between three and six weeks.
Several people with personal ties to Marty Ray Crawford Jr. heard about the investigation and contacted police Oct. 15. They told investigators they had not heard from him in a while and observed no Facebook activity from him since Sept. 2.
Crawford Jr.'s father and his stepmother, who live in Vero Beach, told police Oct. 19 that it was not unusual to go long periods without hearing from him.
However, they recently learned that his friends had not heard from him in a long time and wanted to report him as missing.
Police said a thumbprint helped them identify Crawford Jr.
There were no signs of trauma to the body, according to investigators.
