Benjamin J. Beason identified after remains found in New Jersey woods

The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office has identified human remains discovered in Middle Township as 42-year-old Benjamin J. Beason of Lower Township. Beason had been reported missing to the Lower Township Police Department on May 22, 2024, and had been missing for more than two years.

The remains were first discovered on March 3rd by a resident walking in a wooded area of the Whitesboro section of Middle Township, who found what appeared to be a human skull. A subsequent search by law enforcement and rescue personnel recovered additional skeletal remains.

The New Jersey State Police Forensic Anthropology Unit examined the remains, and the findings were forwarded to the Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office, which confirmed the positive identification. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation.