Human remains found in NH swamp believed to be missing Hampstead man, police say
New Hampshire police said they recovered skeletal remains, which they believe are of a Hampstead man who has been missing since July 2022.
The remains were found in a swampy area between Emerson Avenue and Route 111, according to officials.
Hampstead police said, based on the location of the remains and evidence in the area, they believe there is a “very high probability” that this is the body of 79-year-old John Matson.
No foul play is expected, said police.
Matson, who suffers from dementia, was last seen walking inside Emerson Village on July 6, 2022.
Police said for the past 10 months, they have conducted extensive efforts to locate Matson with grid searches, drone searches, door-to-door-canvassing, canine searches, and a helicopter search. New Hampshire Fish & Game conducted dives in multiple swamps and a sonar search was done on Sunset Lake.
All those efforts resulted in no developments on Matson’s whereabouts.
However, on Saturday police said the drone picked up footage of what appeared to be skeletal remains and some clothing. The drone was also able to pinpoint a GPS location, police said.
On Sunday, officers waded through chest-deep water in the heavy rain to look for the GPS location and find the remains, which were approximately 500 ft. from “dry land.” Officials said it took almost three hours to create a path and bring the remains out.
Police said the body has been removed and is at the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s Office.
“The mystery of John Matson has weighed heavily on this community for the past 10 months. There was not a day that went by, where Mr. Matson and his family were not on the minds of our community, this police department and many more,” Hampstead police said in a statement.
Fish and Game said the identification of the body will be made in the next few days.
Police have notified the Matson family.
“Once these remains have been positively identified, we hope this will give the Matson family the closure they deserve,” police said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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