Authorities have launched an investigation after a partially decomposed body was discovered on a rural property in Neshoba County on Friday, August 29, 2025.
According to the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at approximately 1:45 p.m. after a local resident, while mowing his farm property, came across human remains near a woods road. The landowner and a neighbor remained at the scene to assist law enforcement with the recovery. The property is located about half a mile west of Highway 15 in the Fork Community, just outside Philadelphia.
Officials from the Sheriff’s Office, the Neshoba County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation responded, carefully canvassing the area for evidence. Preliminary findings indicate the body had likely been at the site for an extended period of time—possibly four to six weeks—before being discovered.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed. Investigators are now working to determine both the circumstances of the death and whether the case may be linked to any missing persons reports in the region.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about recent missing persons in the Neshoba County–Philadelphia area to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 601-656-1414 or reach out anonymously to East Mississippi Crime Stoppers at 1-855-485-8477.
The investigation remains active, and additional updates are expected as officials continue efforts to identify the victim and piece together what led to the grim discovery.