WALTON COUNTY − Skeletal remains found near Eglin Air Force Base have been identified as a man who was last seen almost 11 years ago, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
John Thomas “JT” Watson of DeFuniak Springs was 38 at the time of his disappearance in August 2015.
Watson was released from prison on July 1, 2015. “He had been staying with family and occasionally at local motels in DeFuniak Springs as he worked to rebuild his life. In August 2015, he purchased two used vehicles: a Ford Mustang and a Mitsubishi Mirage,” the release says.
Watson was last seen on Aug. 7, 2015, driving the Mirage in DeFuniak Springs. On Oct. 18 of that year the vehicle was found abandoned on a large, wooded section of Eglin property between Coy Burgess Loop and Nelson Road. The keys were still inside, the sheriff’s office says.
What turned out to be Watson’s remains were found on Nov. 24, 2025. The Mustang keys were nearby.
The remains were identified through DNA analysis conducted by DNA Labs International using a grant awarded through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the sheriff’s office says.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Skeletal remains found near Eglin are man who disappeared in 2015
Reporting by DeonTay Smith, Panama City News Herald / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
