Are remains found in Bagdad missing Cameron Belanger? Family wants answers.

Cameron Belanger and his parents were ready to start over.

In May 2023, 25-year-old Cameron returned home to Fountain, Florida, after spending nearly six-and-a-half years in state prison. Ready to change his life, he left for Milton looking for work and was supposed to be home in a few short days.

But that short trip has turned into a monthslong nightmare for his parents, Darryl and Crystal Belanger, who are now waiting to see if bones found near Cameron's last known location belong to their son.

According to the Belangers, on June 30, Cameron traveled to Milton to visit friends and work a few "odd jobs," like mowing lawns. On July 1, Cameron spoke with his parents on the phone, promising to return on July 4 for his sister's birthday party.

"We had planned a 4th of July party and (our daughter's) birthday, and he said he was coming home," Crystal said. "Then we never heard from him again."

Originally, the parents thought nothing of it. They expected to see their son maybe a few days later, but when Cameron's lifelong best friend LeAnne Taylor and his child's mother, Brooke Taylor, called and said he was missing, Crystal said she called law enforcement.

Cameron had been staying in a camper just off Popcorn Road in Bagdad while he worked his odd jobs, so that's where the investigation began. Days, weeks and months went by as family, friends and Santa Rosa County Sheriff's investigators searched for any trace of Cameron without success.

Six months of searching culminated in January when Cameron's parents said they were notified by a local woman – who they met during their previous search efforts - that she had found human remains in a wooded area near Popcorn Road. On Jan. 11, Darryl and a few of his family members searched the area and found the remains.

However, so much of the body has decomposed that the medical examiner must perform DNA testing to determine if the remains belong to Cameron.

"We don't know for sure if they are our son's, but at least we found someone's child," Crystal said.

Belanger family says Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office search efforts were 'minimal'

Having a child go missing and possibly finding his remains would take a toll on any family, but throughout the investigation the Belanger family expressed their discontent with how their son's case has been handled.

Both Crystal and Darryl Belanger say they felt they couldn't get information regarding Cameron's case, and when they would ask about it, they say they would receive little response.

"For example, one of the (responses) was, 'Oh, well maybe he was on drugs again, so you know people on drugs do crazy things,'" Crystal told the News Journal. "Well, even if he was on drugs, he's still a person and a person we care about."

The Belanger family also criticized the SRSO's search efforts, asking why they found remains near Popcorn Road six months after Cameron was last seen near the same road.

"The sheriff's department, I think, their search efforts were minimal, to be honest," Darryl said, expressing that deputies never seemed willing to devote much manpower to the search, even after the family located the remains.

"The sheriff's department came out there, and instead of going into the woods they broke out a drone," the father added. "We were like, 'Yeah, we'll take you through the woods and show you where he's at,' and they didn't want to go into the woods, they wanted to use this drone. I was like, damn, when (Cameron) first went missing they could've brought their drones out there then, six months ago, and used drones to help try to find him."

In a response to the News Journal, the SRSO said they are deeply concerned for the "well-being of our community member, Cameron Belanger," saying they've conducted their investigation like any other.

"Our organization takes all missing persons cases seriously, and we assure you that we have conducted a thorough investigation within the bounds of the law and the resources at our disposal," the SRSO's statement said. "Our hearts are with Cameron's family and friends during this challenging time."

Anyone with information regarding Cameron's activities or whereabouts, is urged to call the SRSO at 850-983-1100, the missing person hotline at 1-888-FL Missing or contact the Belanger at findcambam@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Cameron Belanger possibly found after bones found in Bagdad Santa Rosa