Hiker finds remains of man missing for just short of a decade, Oklahoma sheriff says

Almost 10 years ago, authorities in Oklahoma reported Jarral Ray “J.R.” Osburn had vanished.

He was last seen Aug. 28, 2012, at a Walgreens in Owasso, the Tulsa World reported, and authorities say his car was found abandoned the next morning.

Osburn was was reported missing on Sept. 18 of that year after his family grew concerned, according to the Tulsa World. Phone records showed his cellphone was last used early Aug. 29, the same day his car was found.

Officials believe foul play had a role in his disappearance, the newspaper reported in 2017.

Nearly a decade after the Sand Springs man was last seen, a hiker found his remains, according to a Facebook post from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say the man was hiking in a remote area when he found human remains at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15. Investigators, alongside the Medical Examiner’s Office responded, and the remains have since been confirmed to belong to the 35-year-old man.

His cause of death is still a mystery as an investigation into his disappearance and death continues, the sheriff’s office said.

“TCSO detectives are relieved to finally be able to return Jarral to his family,” the Facebook post says. “We remain committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 918-596-5600 or Crime Stoppers at 918-596-2677.

Owasso is a northern suburb of Tulsa in northeast Oklahoma. Sand Springs, where Osburn was from, is about 20 miles southwest of Owasso.

This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Hiker finds remains of man missing for just short of a decade, Oklahoma sheriff says."