Missing Teen Found Dead in Ditch Weeks Later, Family Says

After a missing teen was found dead in a ditch in North Carolina, family members are seeking answers.

Deputies responded to 69 Gilbert B Crook Road in Candler just after 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 12, following a report that a body had been found, according to a news release from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

The individual found dead at the scene was identified by deputies as Joseph Rose, 18.

Emily Ivory Rose, Joseph’s sister, said her brother was last heard from on Nov. 24, according to ABC affiliate WLOS-TV. 

In a post on Facebook, Emily said her brother “had plans to come to Thanksgiving” but “did not show” and had not been in contact with anyone since.

An officer with the Asheville Police Department (APD) said Rose was reported missing on Dec. 2, according to WLOS-TV.

Although police did not go into specifics about where his body was found, Emily told the outlet that her brother was found “in a ditch” — and the family was still trying to “make sense of everything that’s happened.”

“He’s just a baby, you know, and he’s just so special,” Emily added. “And I just always worried about him.”

Joseph was previously reported missing in June 2021 when he was 14, according to a past report from WLOS-TV.

In a statement obtained by FOX affiliate WHNS, Emily described her brother as “the kind of person who loved everyone exactly as they are” and a “friend to so many.”

“He was a free spirit who cared for everyone he met,” Emily stated, calling Joseph “accepting and forgiving” as well as “kind and smart.”

“He had a huge impact on many communities across the world and a[n] entirely huge heart,” she continued. “He cared about others in a way most people don’t these days.”

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The circumstances of Josephs’s death remain unknown and an investigation is ongoing.

BCSO District 2 Captain Chris Stockton said in a statement that the sheriff’s office is “working to bring answers for Mr. Rose’s family.” 

“BCSO personnel are committed to finding answers through a thorough investigation,” Stockton stated. “These can take time and we appreciate the continued patience for us to follow through with that process.”