Human Remains Found in Woods in Byron, Maine

Skeletal remains recovered from a wooded area in the western Maine town of Byron this week are thought to belong to a man who disappeared during a major snowstorm last December.

State police say the Medical Examiner’s Office is working on making a positive identification. A hunter made the discovery Tuesday off the Weld Road, about a mile into the woods and reported the findings to the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

A team from the Maine State Police, Warden Service and deputies from Oxford and Franklin counties recovered the remains on Wednesday, according to Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. The man’s family has been notified.

Forty-six-year old Derek Adams of Byron went missing on December 28 just before a snowstorm dumped over two feet of snow on that area. A number of searches have taken place since then. Family members said Adams was an outdoors enthusiast, a cross country skier and an Eagle Scout. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia several years ago.

The Medical Examiner’s Office is likely to utilize the State Police’s DNA lab to assist them in the identification process, McCausland said.