Human remains found in Granville County ditch belong to man missing since September

Sheriff Robert Fountain said a resident picking up litter made the discovery around 3 p.m. on Thursday near 6410 Cornwall Road. The resident immediately called the Granville County Sheriff’s Office.

Fountain said the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting.

Fountain said Friday the man has been identified as Jonathon Burrows who had been missing since September 21, 2022.

He believes the body could have been decomposing since sometime in September or October.

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has investigated multiple reports of missing people in recent months, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said it is unclear if Burrows suffered any traumatic injuries. A full autopsy will be completed.

“They are somebody’s child,” Fountain said. “We want to make sure we take care of them and bring some closure to the family that may have been looking for the person."