Private investigator says human remains found near Martin Middle School in Raleigh belong to man missing since 2014
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh police are investigating after human remains were found in a wooded area near Martin Middle School in Raleigh on Thursday afternoon.
The remains were found in a woodline area in the 1700 block of Ridge Road.
Private investigator David Marshburn, who helped create the Search For Me Foundation, told ABC11 that the remains found were that of Andrew Thomas Browne, who went missing in that area in 2014.
Marshburn said the family recently hired the group to find Browne, who was 23 at the time he went missing.
Hunter Glass, director of the Search For Me Foundation, said family members came to the scene Thursday morning after the foundation found evidence of the missing man. Family members identified some of the items found as belonging to Browne/
"That confirmation brings both grief and joy at the same time, which is very painful because at one point you get peace but at same time, it brings you back to that day," Glass said.
Glass said the group didn't want to search across from the school until school was out of session
"I was a cop for 20 years," Glass said. "Sometimes, when you're searching and you're six inches off, you might as well be six miles off. It's one of those things: we've seen this before."
At the time, police said Browne had threatened family members before entering a wooded area near Ridge Road.
The medical examiner responded to the scene Thursday and left with the remains.
Police said in a news release that officers were called to the area at 11:54 a.m. but didn't release the nature of the call.
"We're trying to get people some kind of closure," Glass said. "There's nothing worse than going through life wondering about your loved ones and wondering how they died."
Anyone with information that might assist the investigation is asked to call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at (919) 834-HELP or visit raleighcrimestoppers.org for text and email reporting options. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.
