After a decade of uncertainty, Jacob Lyon’s family has finally received the closure they have been seeking since the 19-year-old went missing.
Jacob, a resident of Niceville, Florida, was reported missing in February 2016 when his mother realized she hadn’t seen him for three months.
Before his disappearance, Jacob, who had been dealing with mental health issues, had received treatment at a psychiatric hospital.
Despite the dedicated efforts of the Niceville Police Department, Jacob’s location remained a mystery for years. Authorities conducted interviews with his family and friends and examined his phone records but were unable to find any leads.
Police also obtained DNA samples from Jacob’s family to assist with future identification.
In 2022, human remains were found in Miramar Beach, approximately 17 miles from Jacob’s hometown of Niceville.
The remains, discovered in a small wooded area, have now been positively identified as Jacob’s.
The confirmation of Jacob’s DNA match was received by the Nashville Police Department on January 21.
Major Dustin Cosson from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office stated: “Ten years is a long time, but Jacob is home. Jacob’s back.
“His family is able to make a little bit of closure, and it’s our hope that we can continue to get answers.”
Cosson acknowledged that while the confirmation of Jacob’s death is tragic, it provides his family with some closure.
“Now we have something that we can utilize from evidence to identify possibly what happened,” he continued, via Newsweek.
“We don’t know right now exactly what happened, but what we do know is that we have a positive confirmation of Jacob Lyons, and that we’ll be continuing the investigation and the partnership.”
Although the journey to uncover the truth about Jacob’s disappearance has been long, Niceville Police Chief Mark Hayse expressed that they ‘did not give up hope’ and continued to pursue leads until recently.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding Jacob’s death is encouraged to contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at (850)-892-8111.
If you have suffered a bereavement and need someone to talk to confidentially, reach out to GrieveWell at (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
If you or someone you know is in distress or crisis, assistance is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 for 24/7 support, or use the webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also text MHA to 741741 for help from the Crisis Text Line.