Police have identified the remains discovered at a property in Wakefield, Massachusetts as a Dracut man, according to authorities.
The remains of 54-year-old Clifford Bates were found at a home on Lakeshore Drive at 10:24 a.m. Monday, according to police. A landscaper working on the property found the bones, shoes and clothing under brush behind a shed in the rear of the home, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the Bates' remains had been outside for an extended period of time.
Bates was reported missing on April 29, 2018 by his sister, according to police. Authorities learned he walked away from a voluntary sober home he was staying in at about 7:30 a.m. When he did not return, staff at the home contacted Bates' sister to notify her of his disappearance.
He did not have a cellphone and an official missing person's report was filed on May 1.
Due to the condition of the remains, the district attorney's office said the cause of death and identity is not immediately available.
