MARTIN COUNTY, FL — Authorities in Martin County found a body on a South Florida beach while searching for Michael Anthony Debevec II, an Oklahoma man who was reported missing Aug. 26.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has not said whether the body is Debevec. Deputies did tell his family about the discovery, and they said the person was wearing the clothing Debevec was last seen in.
The search centered on Chastain Beach, which locals also call “The Rocks.” Deputies had already found Debevec’s vehicle, wallet and backpack there, but said the scene initially did not appear suspicious.
Deputies trace Debevec’s last known movements to Chastain Beach
Investigators said Debevec arrived in the area from Port St. Lucie around 3 a.m. Friday and parked at Chastain Beach. He was not seen again after that.
His cellphone later pinged near the beach from about 5 a.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday. Deputies said the phone data showed movement from the beach to the House of Refuge, a nearby area the sheriff’s office also searched.
By Tuesday, authorities had been using several methods to look for him, including searching the water and combing the beach and surrounding areas. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remained active as they tried to determine what happened after he was last seen.
Backpack found in wooded area near House of Refuge
On Tuesday, deputies said Debevec’s backpack, along with his laptop, was found hanging high in a wooded area near the House of Refuge. Not far from that location, a body was discovered on the beach.
The sheriff’s office has not released a name for the body or said how long it may have been there. Officials also have not said what caused the death, and that remains unknown.
The proximity of the backpack and the body added another piece to the search, but investigators stopped short of confirming a direct connection. For now, they are treating the discovery as part of the missing-person case rather than closing it out.
Phone data suggested a later ping near Celebration, Florida
Deputies said Debevec’s phone later pinged again around Celebration, Florida, near Interstate 4, several hours away from Martin County. They have not explained how or whether he may have traveled there.
The sheriff’s office also said this was not the first time Debevec had gone missing. Investigators said he had a history of substance abuse, information they gathered during the search.
Those details gave detectives a broader picture of his recent activity, but they did not provide an answer about his current whereabouts. The body found on the beach became the central development as the search entered another day.
Family ties in Oklahoma and Florida added to the case
According to deputies, Debevec had briefly lived in Oklahoma before moving back to the Port St. Lucie area. The sheriff’s office did not say where in Oklahoma he had lived.
Authorities also said Debevec had tried to call a woman in Oklahoma shortly before he was reported missing. His father, who lives in the Orlando area, said Debevec was still living in Oklahoma and was only visiting Port St. Lucie.
Those conflicting details about where he had been living show how much of his recent life still needs to be pieced together. For now, investigators are working with the timeline they have, from the beach parking spot to the later phone pings and the body found Tuesday.
What Martin County officials have and have not confirmed
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the body was found during the search and that the person was wearing clothing Debevec was last seen in. Officials have not confirmed the identity of the body.
They also have not announced a cause of death. That leaves the case open on two fronts: whether the body is Debevec and how the person died.
Until those questions are answered, the missing-person investigation remains the main focus. Deputies continued gathering information from the beach, the House of Refuge area and the phone records that mapped Debevec’s last known movements.
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