Skull found in NJ woods identified as missing father

🔎 Human remains found in Middle Township in March have been identified as Benjamin J. Beason, 42.

📅 Beason was reported missing from Lower Township in May 2024.

❓ Prosecutors say his cause of death remains under investigation.

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — Human remains found in a New Jersey wooded area earlier this year have been identified as a man who had been missing for nearly two years.

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On Wednesday, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland announced that the remains had been identified as Benjamin J. Beason, 42, of Lower Township.

Beason was reported missing to local police in May 2024 and was last seen at Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional. One shoe and a hat had been found near the Home Depot in Middle Township, but no other signs were found for 22 months, according to Beason's then-girlfriend.

(Ben Beason via Facebook)

Skull found in Middle Township leads to identification

A person walking through the woods in Middle Township on  March 3, 2026 found the skull by chance, according to authorities. Official searches found more skeletal remains in the area.

Beason's cause of death is still under investigation, prosecutors said.

READ MORE: NJ Pyramid Mountain hiking search ends with 1 dead, 1 rescued

(Ben Beason via Facebook)

Beason was a father; he had one son with Jamie Difalco before they separated. On Instagram, Difalco thanked everyone who shared information about Beason while he was missing. She said she felt safer knowing that he was watching over them.

"I love that we had so much love between us because it made him. It made John. And no matter what happened or how rough things got, that love will always be a part of us," Difalco said.

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