Human remains found in a wooded area in Middle Township earlier this year have been identified as a Lower Township man who had been missing since 2024, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office.

The remains were identified as Benjamin J. Beason, 42, who was reported missing to Lower Township police on May 22, 2024. His cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

The remains were discovered March 3 after a Cape May County resident walking in a wooded area in the Whitesboro section of Middle Township found what appeared to be a human skull and contacted police.

A subsequent search by law enforcement and search and rescue personnel led to the recovery of additional skeletal remains.

The New Jersey State Police Forensic Anthropology Unit examined the remains and forwarded its findings to the Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office. Authorities subsequently identified the remains as Beason's.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135 or submit an anonymous tip through the prosecutor's office website.