Body found in Cape Fear River on Tuesday identified as missing Fuquay-Varina man
A body found in the Cape Fear River in downtown Fayetteville on Tuesday has been identified as a missing Fuquay-Varina man, the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Thursday.
According to the release, Gregory Scott Webster, 51, was reported missing by the Harnett County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 11.
The Harnett County Sheriff's Office said Webster was last seen at noon on Feb. 8 when he left his home on Old Mill Road. The day after he went missing, his vehicle was found abandoned on River Bend Road in Linden in Harnett County. River Bend Road is a dead-end road in close proximity to the Cape Fear River.
The Sheriff's Office said in the past 35 days they conducted ground searches, K-9 searches and aerial drone searches in an effort to locate Webster.
Scientists conducting water testing located his body in the river about 2:30 March 18 in downtown Fayetteville, east of the railroad crossing bridge and west of the Eastern Boulevard bridge. The SBI said recovery was delayed due to fallen trees and debris from past hurricanes.
The Harnett County Sheriffs Office said the remains were identified by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner using dental records.
Related: Scientists find body in Cape Fear River on Tuesday; SBI investigating
A spokesperson for the SBI said Wednesday the reason the SBI took lead over the Fayetteville Police Department is because it's believed the body entered the river in another county.
Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: SBI identifies body found in Cape Fear River on Tuesday
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