UPDATE: Missing Bicyclist From MA Found Dead in NC

By Patrick Luce (Patch Staff)

A North Attleboro man who was biking from Massachusetts to Florida was found dead in the woods of North Carolina Wednesday.

Richard Moreau, 66, had been missing since Sept. 17, after leaving the Verizon store located at 6807 Knightdale Blvd in Knightdale, NC. He apparently set up camp in the woods that night and passed away. The investigation continues, but it reportedly appears no foul play was involved.

“Richard was found deceased in the woods of Middlesex, NC earlier today,” the family said in an email to Patch. “He was located in a camp site that he had set up. His bike and tent were intact. It appears he went inside his tent and passed in his sleep. The investigation is ongoing. The family is heartbroken.”

The family had heard from Moreau the day before he went missing, and he was reportedly heading toward Wendell, NC, to camp for the night. It was expected he would continue along US Highway 1 into Florida.

Volunteers searched along the Greenway on the Neuse River Trail south of Mingo Creek in North Carolina Wednesday.

Moreau left North Attleboro on Aug. 26 to fulfill a dream of biking the entire East Coast. He stopped at the Verizon store on Sept. 17, and hasn’t been heard from since. There has reportedly been no activity on his credit cards since.

“Mr. Moreau is a family man and grandfather of 6; pursuing a lifelong dream of bicycling from Massachusetts to Florida,” a Facebook page dedicated to his search reads. “He left North Attleboro on Wednesday Aug. 26, on a green bicycle with very little belongings and has been checking in with his family daily.”