Body of NC man found 8 days after he was reported missing in Lenoir County, SBI says

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A multi-agency search for a missing Goldsboro man ended on Thursday after his body was found.

Justin Maurice Bright was last seen Oct. 22, 2025 around 4:30 p.m. near La Grange, according to North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI). Bright was from Goldsboro but the missing person report was filed in Lenoir County, the SBI says.

The search, conducted by SBI agents and deputies from Wayne and Lenoir County Sheriff's offices, along with the Mount Olive Police Department, was conducted mainly in an area off Durham Lake Road in Wayne County.

A helicopter was able to locate Bright's body, investigators say.

The body has been sent to the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of Bright's death.

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