Human remains found in ditch by Granville County resident picking up litter

Investigators are working to identify a badly decomposed body found by a Granville County resident in a ditch along a rural road in Oxford on Thursday.

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.

The body, which is believed to be a white or Hispanic adult man, has visible tattoos and other identifiable markings.

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has investigated multiple reports of missing people in recent months, the sheriff said. He believes the body could have been decomposing since sometime in September or October.

“We think we know who it is but we want to make sure we confirm before we put anything out concrete,” Fountain said. “We would ask residents in the area to stay clear of the area so we can let people work.”

The sheriff said it is unclear if the person 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.