Body Found Is Missing Iredell County Man: Sheriff

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — A body found by a forestry worker in western Iredell County Wednesday has been identified by authorities as Benny Dean Randolph, who was reported missing by his family last month, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

In late January, Iredell County Sheriff's Office made an appeal asking for the community’s help locating Randolph, who was reported missing by a family member earlier in the month. He was also wanted on numerous outstanding warrants, ICSO said.

According to an ICSO statement at the time, the 29-year-old man had not been seen since 6 a.m. Jan. 16, when he was spotted near the woods behind the family home on Twisted Oak Lane, his sister told deputies. He was later spotted by witnesses, but had not been seen since.

“The family told deputies at the time the missing person report was filed Benny was acting paranoid and seeing things which weren’t there. Indications were he was under the influence of some controlled substance, and had possibly consumed an unknown substance shortly before he went missing,” ICSO said in a statement.

On Feb. 13, a forestry worker contacted the Sheriff’s office to report finding a body in a wooded area in the 500 block of Eufola Road. Responding deputies positively identified the body as that of Randolph, ICSO said.

The Iredell County Sheriff's Office said in January that it has six open arrest warrants for Randolph and that "he is currently an Absconder wanted by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Probation and Parole."

According to authorities, Randolph was identified as a suspect in a breaking and entering of a home near his residence on Jan. 16 during the course of the missing persons investigation. The Sheriff’s office deployed a drone and a cadaver dog as part of that investigation, however, his body was found in a wooded area in the opposite direction from where authorities believed he had traveled, ICSO said.

RELATED: Sheriff Asks For Help Locating Missing Iredell Man

“There were no indications of foul play, and there was no indication of the cause of death,” ICSO said. “The Medical Examiner was contacted the body will be transported to North Carolina Baptist Hospital where an autopsy will be conducted.”

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Photos courtesy of Iredell County Sheriff's Office