Strange discovery of human femur leads searchers to skeleton in woods, NC cops

The confounding discovery of a human femur has created a mystery in the dense woods of rural North Carolina.

More bones have since been found, and investigators suspect they may be the remains of a man who went missing in June, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

However, an identity has yet to be confirmed.

The first of the bones was found Oct. 14 along Poors Ford Road near Rutherfordton, about a 75-mile drive west from Charlotte.

“An extensive search was carried out in a heavily wooded area on an adjacent property, located on the opposite side of the road from where Ricky Watson was last seen and reported missing in June 2025,” the sheriff’s office said in an Oct. 20 update.

“During the search, investigators located a large portion of human skeletal remains. The remains will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for further evaluation and identification.”

A cause of death is still to be determined, but foul play is not suspected, officials said.

Watson, 55, was last seen in the Shiloh area of Rutherford County, and he was believed to be endangered, the sheriff’s office said in a series of June Facebook posts.

“Investigators have utilized multiple resources to search areas surrounding Mr. Watson’s home and his last known location near 2818 Poors Ford Road,” the sheriff’s office said. “An Endangered Alert was issued by the Center on June 23.”

The area where the bones were found is sparsely populated and largely wooded, maps show.

This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Strange discovery of human femur leads searchers to skeleton in woods, NC cops."