Daniel Reed went missing about three months ago. On July 21, his family called Middletown police to report his disappearance. No one had seen him for about 10 days and the man, who was on several medications, did not have them with him.
Police considered him endangered and police sent out an appeal for information about his whereabouts.
On Tuesday afternoon someone out walking found skeletal remains in the woods off Route 66 near Plaza Drive, a plaza that contains an A&P Super Foodmart and WOW! Fitness Center, among other shops.
Police responded, investigated and on Wednesday, they determined that the walker had found Reed.
Reed, 35, of Middletown,. was identified through dental records and as personal identification found at the scene as Age 35 of Middletown.
How Reed died, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not determined.
“Someone that was walking behind the woods behind us happened to come across some remains that they thought were a human being," said Middletown Police Lt. John Lozefski. "They called our patrol and our patrol units came down and confirmed it actually was human skeletal remains."
“It’s crazy. I come up here all the time," Doretha Green, of Middletown, said on Tuesday.
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“When I pulled in here I was like, 'I bet you they found a body over there.' That was the first thing I thought when I pulled in here," said Tammy Kent of Middletown, who was grocery shopping at the A&P with her young daughter.
As detectives worked to identify the remains and figure out how long they’ve been there, shoppers said it is disturbing to know they were so close.
“Me and my friends, we’re on this road all the time. We hang out here. I go the gym right over there. It’s kind of weird having it happen right where we always are,” said Sean McKernan. of Durham.
