Hunter stumbles upon remains of man missing for three years, North Carolina cops say
Human remains found by a hunter have been identified as Phillip Rampey, a man missing for over three years in North Carolina, officials said.
A local hunter stumbled upon the remains on Dec. 22 in a heavily wooded area just 3 miles from Rampey’s home in Greenville. Deputies conducted two searches, Dec. 22 and again on Jan. 3, with cadaver dogs. The remains were recovered and transferred to the medical examiner’s office where a positive identification was made, according to a Jan. 6 release from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office.
Rampey, 44, was first reported missing on Dec. 6, 2019, from his home, officials said, and a state-wide Silver Alert was issued.
The sheriff’s office said Rampey was known to spend time in the woods in his area and searches of surrounding wooded areas were conducted in the weeks and months following his disappearance. Officials received multiple tips and reported sightings of Rampey that were fully investigated “but he was never located.”
Deputies did not find any evidence of foul play, according to the release.
“Sheriff Paula Dance and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Rampey family,” the sheriff’s office said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Hunter stumbles upon remains of man missing for three years, North Carolina cops say."
