The butchered remains of a missing North Carolina man were found in a barrel filled with concrete, authorities said.
The cut-up remains of a North Carolina man last seen on Christmas Eve have been found encased in concrete inside a barrel, authorities said.
Forensic testing concluded the body parts belonged to Michael Bradley Cox, 40, who was reported missing on Jan. 5 after not being seen in several days, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
“Detectives located a 55-gallon barrel in a heavily wooded area that contained concrete and suspected human remains,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Friday.
The discovery was made on Jan. 26 by investigators searching the home and property of Jackie Lamar Bright, 42, in Sanford, about 40 miles outside Raleigh, authorities said.
Bright has been charged with murder in the Cox case and is currently in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Corrections, according to the sheriff's office and online prison records.
No motive was given for Cox's killing, and the sheriff's office did not say if the two men knew each other.
Bright's home had been previously searched during the first week of January by sheriff's investigators who said they found a stolen vehicle and several controlled substances including cocaine. Bright, who was on parole at the time, was arrested on Jan. 6, the sheriff's office said.
Bright posted bond and was released, but was arrested again on Jan. 11 for drug possession and violating parole, the sheriff's office said.
According to online records, he has a court appearance scheduled for Feb. 15.
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