• Michael Bradley Cox missing person was found dead in a giant concrete-filled barrel. 
• North Carolina Sheriff’s office has been searching for Michael Bradley Cox since he was reported missing on January 5th.

Michael Bradley Cox missing person was found dead in a giant concrete-filled barrel. 

Michael belonged to the state of North Carolina and disappeared in the late hours of Christmas eve. 

He was last seen or heard from on December 24th, 2022. Since then, his whereabouts were not known to anyone. 

North Carolina Sheriff’s office has been searching for Michael Bradley Cox since he was reported missing on January 5th.

In a press release, Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that on Jan. 25, 2023, deputies executed a search warrant at a house at 1675 Farrell Road in Sanford, North Carolina, and a connecting piece of land at 1741 and 1745 Farrell Road.

How was Michael Bradley Cox found?

The search came to a tragic and disturbing end when a 55-gallon barrel was discovered in a heavily wooded area. 

According to the sheriff’s office, the barrel was filled with concrete and suspected human remains. 

The sheriff’s office stated, “The barrel was seized and sent to the North Carolina State Medical Examiner’s Office for further inspection. The Medical Examiner’s Office removed the concrete and discovered a dismembered body inside the barrel.”

After a thorough examination, the authorities concluded that the body belonged to 40-year-old Michael “Mike” Bradley Cox of Lee County. 

Although Michael was reported missing on January 5th, no one had seen or heard from him since the eve of December 24th. 

After retrieving Cox’s body, Jackie Lamar Bright, 42, has reportedly been arrested and charged with murder. Jackie Lamar Bright is the property owner where the search was conducted and the barrel was found. 

Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that Jackie Lamar Bright has an extensive criminal history. He was released from prison in May 2022. 

He was on parole for unrelated charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and controlled substance violations on Jan. 6. He bonded out of jail and was arrested five days later for a parole violation and more controlled substance violations.

According to the officials, the stolen vehicle was found in an outbuilding on his property, along with 270 grams of marijuana, 40 dosage units of suboxone, and cocaine.

The authorities have not yet established a connection between the two men, but they believe Jackie Lamar Bright is the murderer of Michael Bradley Cox.