Police: Remains Found in Swamp Likely Missing New Hampshire Man

Police in Hampstead, New Hampshire, say they have located human remains in a dense swamp area likely ending a months long search for a local man.

The remains, located near Emerson Avenue and Route 111, will need testing to confirm the identity, authorities say. However, based on the evidence near the area, police say they believe the remains are of John Matson, a man who had been reportedly missing since July 6, 2022.

Multiple agencies and local volunteers had been conducting searches since July. According to Hempstead Police, a NH Fish & Game Conservation officer returned to Hampstead on his own accord last Thursday and deployed his agency’s drone.

On Saturday, the drone picked up footage of what appeared to be skeletal remains and some clothing. Three Hampstead Police Department officers and two NH Fish & Game officers waded through chest deep water and endured the heavy rain on Sunday to find the skeletal remains, which were approximately 500 feet from “dry land," according to Hampstead Police.

Police say foul play is not expected, but are waiting on autopsy results from the medical examiner's office.

"Once these remains have been positively identified, we hope this will give the Matson family the closure they deserve," Hampstead Police Deputy Chief Robert Kelley said in a written statement.