Human Remains Found in Rutherford County Identified as Missing Man

On October 20, 2025, investigators with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division conducted an additional search in the 2800 block of Poors Ford Road after a bone was discovered.

An extensive search was carried out in a heavily wooded area on an adjacent property across the road from where Ricky Watson was last seen and reported missing in June 2025. During the search, investigators located a significant portion of human skeletal remains, which were sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for evaluation and identification.

On October 22, 2025, the remains were positively identified as those of Ricky Watson, who was last seen on June 20, 2025, around 2:00 p.m., and reported missing by family members the following morning.

Throughout the investigation, investigators spoke with a neighbor who reported seeing Watson enter a wooded area behind his residence. Multiple searches were conducted using deputies, investigators on foot, drones, and cadaver K-9s from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The dense wooded terrain surrounding the area posed significant challenges, with hundreds of acres to cover.

Investigators initially focused their search on the area where Watson was last seen and near his residence. Several searches were conducted over multiple days, but no success was reported until remains were found. Once partial remains were discovered, investigators concentrated their efforts in the immediate area and located additional remains.

Watson’s family has been notified. Based on evidence and interviews conducted during the investigation, authorities do not suspect foul play.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to the family and noted that they hope this discovery provides some measure of closure.