Identified! AR - Adult Remains in Wooded Area, Pine Bluff, 23 Aug 2019 - Thomas Matthews Jr.

[Gardener1850]

Police said Monday the human remains found Friday afternoon in Pine Bluff are from an adult, but gender, age or identity of the deceased are not yet known. Sgt. Richard Wegner said the remains have been difficult to identify because they are in an “advanced state of decomposition.”

The death is being investigated as suspicious, he said, but it may not be possible to determine the cause of death given the body’s condition.

The remains were found in a wooded area near West 4th Avenue and South Juniper Street.

Human remains found in state belonged to adult, police say

 

[Gardener1850]

Approx location: Google Maps

 

[PayrollNerd]

That's not really a remote area. The dark green areas are wetlands. If they were in the watery or damp part of the wetlands that will effect the age of bones and decomp. I wonder if during excavation for growth, they found these remains.

 

[Gardener1850]

That's not really a remote area. The dark green areas are wetlands. If they were in the watery or damp part of the wetlands that will effect the age of bones and decomp. I wonder if during excavation for growth, they found these remains.

That's a good possibility. I'm thinking they might have been buried since police are saying it's suspicious but they don't know the cause of death yet. MOO.

 

[mlhenn]

Approx location: Google Maps

This is located near the older part of Pine Bluff, not to far from the railroad yards. It’s a mixture of housing and industrial buildings/businesses.
It wasn’t but a few months ago a lot of this area was flooded (rains & river rising); the Sports Complex/Park which isn’t too far away was completely under water. With such soaked areas for such a length of time could play apart in the body’s condition. MOO

 

[PayrollNerd]

This is located near the older part of Pine Bluff, not to far from the railroad yards. It’s a mixture of housing and industrial buildings/businesses.
It wasn’t but a few months ago a lot of this area was flooded (rains & river rising); the Sports Complex/Park which isn’t too far away was completely under water. With such soaked areas for such a length of time could play apart in the body’s condition. MOO

Great info. I zoomed out on the Google map and Lake Saracen is not far away. I bet the remains traveled during the flood and rested in sediment in the wetlands. If they do not have a full skeleton, they need to check the lake.

 

[creepedout]

Only two somewhat recent missing cases out of Jefferson County are listed in Namus:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[iulia]

Human remains found on inactive railroad tracks ID'd as Arkansas man

Pine Bluff police on Friday identified human remains discovered one week ago on inactive railroad tracks as those of a 33-year-old Star City man, according to a news release from the department.

The death of Thomas Matthews Jr. has been ruled a homicide due to gunshot, the release further states.

 

[PayrollNerd]

So he was discovered on the tracks. Gunshot wound must have been immediately obvious

The discovery on tracks in the area of West 4th and Juniper Avenues was immediately classified by police as a suspicious death.

Days later, a Pine Bluff police sergeant said the remains were difficult to identify because they were in an “advanced state of decomposition.”

 

[PayrollNerd]

This was an unused track that was overgrown and he had been there several days per the linked video.

Pine Bluff police ID human remains; death ruled homicide

 

[PayrollNerd]

His obituary is dated the day his remains were found? If he was in advanced stage decomp, the dates seem off.

Obituary for Thomas Matthews at Paradise Funeral Home

 

[Gardener1850]

His obituary is dated the day his remains were found? If he was in advanced stage decomp, the dates seem off.

Obituary for Thomas Matthews at Paradise Funeral Home

That likely reflects the day he was legally declared dead by the ME, not the day he actually died. The date his remains were found would be the date of death listed on his death certificate. Family can choose any date they want for an obituary, but it is pretty common to go with the date on the death certificate. Unless it is a cold case where someone was missing for years, then families sometimes choose the date the person was last seen. JMO.