Authorities in Putnam County have confirmed the identity of skeletal remains discovered by hikers late last month, bringing a missing person case involving a Rutherford County man to a conclusion.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said the remains were found on Sunday, March 29, near Monterey at the eastern end of the county between Highway 70 and Interstate 40.
Investigators transported the remains to the Medical Examiner’s Office, where they were identified as Kevin Sharp of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Sharp had been reported missing from his residence on May 4, 2024. The following day, his vehicle, a black Subaru, was found abandoned along Interstate 40 at mile marker 298 in Putnam County.
During the recovery process, authorities located a Subaru key fob among the items found with the remains, helping connect the discovery to the missing person case.
Sheriff Eddie Farris said the outcome is not what investigators or the family had hoped for, offering condolences as they face the difficult loss.
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