Officials on Tuesday identified the skeletal human remains found in Saugus on Sunday as a 53-year-old Haverhill man who had been missing since last summer.
The body of John Lawler was found by an individual walking their dog in a wooded area off David Drive on Sunday morning, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office said in a statement. The individual notified police of the discovery shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday.
The remains were identified as Lawler’s by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Monday, the statement said.
The case remains open pending a final determination by the medical examiner’s office of Lawler’s cause of death.
Lawler had been missing since summer 2023, when his family took to Facebook to plead for help locating the man, who was last seen on July 14. Lawler vanished after he left his dwelling at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center on Route 1. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and holding a fishing rod as he walked toward the highway.
In a Facebook post, Barbara Hubbard, who identified Lawler as the father of her children, confirmed the news.
“I just wanted to thank all of you who have helped search, offered thoughts & prayers, have checked in on myself & our children over these long months of not knowing,” Hubbard said. “Your support in all ways (has) help(ed) us through this time. Now he can finally be laid to rest, surrounded by all who knew & loved him.”
