CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ — Investigators in Cape May County have identified human remains found earlier this year as belonging to Benjamin J. Beason, a 42-year-old Lower Township man who was reported missing in 2024. The announcement came Wednesday from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities said Beason’s skull was discovered on March 3, 2026, in a wooded area of Middle Township by a nearby resident who was walking in the area. The discovery was reported right away to the Middle Township Police Department.
Discovery in the woods led to a wider search
After the skull was located, law enforcement and search and rescue crews carried out a coordinated search of the wooded area. That effort led to the recovery of additional skeletal remains, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The remains were sent for examination after the discovery. Investigators have not said how long the remains had been in the woods before they were found, but the case quickly shifted into a countywide identification effort.
The find drew in multiple agencies because the remains were uncovered in a rural area and did not immediately reveal the person’s identity. Officials said the work was handled as part of an active missing-person investigation tied to Beason.
Family reported Beason missing in May 2024
Beason had been reported missing by his family to the Lower Township Police Department on May 22, 2024. That missing-person report became the starting point for investigators once the remains were found more than a year later.
Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of his disappearance. The prosecutor’s office said the identification now connects the wooded-area discovery to the case that began when his family alerted police in Lower Township.
Beason lived in Lower Township, which is also in Cape May County. That link helped investigators narrow the focus as they worked to confirm the identity of the remains through forensic testing.
State forensic unit and medical examiner confirmed the identification
An examination of the remains was carried out by the New Jersey State Police Forensic Anthropology Unit, officials said. The findings were then forwarded to the Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
That chain of review led investigators to identify the remains as Beason’s. The prosecutor’s office did not describe what specific tests or observations established the match, but it said the identification has now been completed.
Forensic anthropology often helps investigators evaluate skeletal remains when ordinary visual identification is not possible. In this case, authorities used that process as part of the effort to determine who was found in the Middle Township woods.
Cause and manner of death are still unknown
Even with the identification complete, the broader investigation remains open. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said Beason’s cause and manner of death are still under investigation.
Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said the case is ongoing. Officials have not announced whether they believe foul play was involved, and they have not released any details about possible leads.
That means investigators are still trying to piece together what happened between Beason’s disappearance in 2024 and the discovery of his remains in 2026. For now, the identification answers one major question while leaving the central cause unanswered.
Officials are asking for anonymous tips
The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office is asking anyone with information to come forward anonymously. Tips can be submitted through the office’s website at cmcpo.tips or by calling 609-465-1135.
Authorities are treating the matter as an active investigation and say even small pieces of information could help. The latest update gives the case a confirmed identity, but not a final explanation for Beason’s death.
Investigators have not announced a timetable for additional findings. For now, the focus remains on the circumstances of the remains’ discovery, the missing-person report from 2024, and the unanswered questions surrounding how Beason died.
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