Man, 24, Vanishes After Traveling Out of State for Dating App Meet-Up. Weeks Later, His Remains Are Found
The family members of Nicholas Anderson, 24, said they had not heard from their loved one after he went to Florida to see a man he met through a dating app in April
Authorities said skeletal remains were found in May near the retention wall of a home on the St. Johns River in Fleming Island
The remains were later identified as belonging to Anderson, the Clay County Sheriff's Office announced on Aug. 1The remains of a missing Atlanta man, whose family said traveled to Florida to meet a person off a dating app, have been identified.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) in Florida said in a Friday, Aug. 1, news release that skeletal remains found in May near the retention wall of a home on the St. Johns River in Fleming Island belonged to Nicholas Lamont Anderson, 24.
The positive identification was made in cooperation with the District 4 Medical Examiner's Office and with help from the community, authorities said.
'While this is a considerable step forward in this investigation, CCSO detectives are still seeking information about Mr. Anderson and circumstances leading up to the discovery of his body; specifically, the persons he encountered, his activities, and places he visited from April 1 to April 7, 2025,' the sheriff's office said.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office has not released Anderson's cause of death or shared whether or not foul play is suspected.
PEOPLE contacted the sheriff's office for comment on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
In an interview with NBC affiliate WXIA, Anderson's aunt, Monica Tucker, said her nephew traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., to meet a man he had been corresponding with on a dating app. He had not returned home from that trip since April.
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Tucker said when Anderson did not show up, his family went to Jacksonville to meet the man from the app. She added that there were inconsistencies in the man's story, although authorities later cleared him.
'First, he said he didn't see him,' Tucker told WXIA. 'Then he said he went to the hotel to watch movies. And then he says he took them to go get cigarettes, and then he kept saying something about a pier.'
Trommell Henry, Anderson's stepfather, told CBS affiliate WANP that it was out of character for his stepson to not check in with his family during his stay in Florida.
"We needed him back home. We wanted him back home. Having family is truly the key,' Henry said.
Mary Anderson, the victim's mother, said in the same interview that her son has experienced mental health issues.
'I don't see him just randomly picking this particular place to go to, to travel to. So I feel as though it was someone that he chose to meet there,' she added.
Mary remembered her son as someone who was full of life and loved to crochet. She alleged that her son's case was not taken seriously at first, saying, 'I thought no one cared about my missing Black boy.'
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Tucker, who said Anderson has been taking his medication, suspects something is amiss amid the news of the discovery and identification of remains.
'He would never hurt himself, and he knows how to swim. So, there's no way. I think it's foul play,' she told WXIA.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in the investigation and said there is a $5,000 reward if a tip leads to an arrest or advances the case. Those with information are asked to call 904-264-6512 or use the SaferWatch app.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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