NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Niceville Police Department announced Tuesday that skeletal human remains discovered in Miramar Beach in 2022 have been positively identified as Jacob Lyon, a Niceville resident who was reported missing in 2016.
Jacob was 19 years old at the time he was reported missing by his mother in February 2016.
Investigators with the Niceville Police Department dedicated countless hours to locating Jacob, following every lead and exploring every tip received over the years.
Despite those efforts, he was not found.
On October 20, 2022, a man clearing a wooded area in Miramar Beach discovered skeletal fragments. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office responded.
From 2022 through 2024, the District 1 Medical Examiner worked to identify the remains.
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After an exhaustive effort, officials requested that samples be sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing in late 2024.
Law enforcement said DNA testing of skeletal remains is highly complex due to degradation over time, environmental exposure, and limited genetic material, making extraction and interpretation difficult.
Earlier this month, FDLE contacted investigators to confirm the remains were positively identified as Jacob.
“This is not the result our community hoped for,” officials said in a joint statement.
For Jacob’s family, investigators expressed hope that confirmation brings peace in knowing he has been found.
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Officials said the investigation remains active.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue working closely with the Niceville Police Department to determine how Jacob died.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at 850-892-8111.
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