City of Niceville
NEED TO KNOW
Skeletal remains found in Florida in 2022 have been identified as 19-year-old Jacob Lyon, according to authorities
Lyon was last seen in November 2015, and was reported missing by his mother in February 2016
The young man "was involuntarily committed to a hospital for psychiatric care" the month before his disappearance, per the local sheriff's office
Human remains found in 2022 have been identified as a young man who disappeared more than a decade ago.
Skeletal fragments were found in Miramar Beach, Fla., on Oct. 20, 2022 by a man who was "clearing a wooded area," according to anews releasefrom the Walton County Sheriff's Office (WCSO).
The District 1 Medical Examiner attempted to identify the remains for about two years before requesting the WCSO send DNA samples to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in late 2024.
In January 2025, FDLE informed the WCSO that the remains were positively identified as 19-year-old Jacob Lyon.
"This is not the result our community hoped for," the WCSO said in its news release. "For his family, we hope there is peace in knowing Jacob has been found."
The Charley Project
Lyon disappeared from Niceville in November 2015, according toThe Charley Project. He had been staying with various relatives in both Niceville and Mossey Head, and "was involuntarily committed to a hospital for psychiatric care" in October 2015.
Lyon was reported missing by his mother in February 2016, according to the WCSO. The sheriff's office then teamed up with the Niceville Police Department (NPD) to follow leads and tips, "but ultimately none led authorities to Jacob."
One decade later, Lyon's remains were found. NPD Lieutenant John Lee said his top priority "was to try and find closure for his mother," according to ABC affiliateWMBB.
"Ten years is a long time. But Jacob is home. Jake is back with his family, and family can make a little bit of closure. And we hope that we can continue to get answers again," WSCO Major Dustin Cosson said.
Authorities are still attempting to determine how Lyons died, according to the WCSO.
Cosson said Lyon's remains were found behind where a Sleep Inn once stood, according to FOX affiliateWALA.
"If you look at the scene where Jacob was recovered in 2022 it looked completely different than it does today," Cosson said.
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Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the WCSO at (850)-892-8111.
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