BROWNSTOWN, IL — Authorities have identified human remains discovered by a farmer in a Brownstown field late last month as belonging to a man reported missing in Fayette County, IL in August of 2020. According to the Illinois State Police, the skeletal remains belonged to 33-year-old Joel Anthony Mason, of Beaumont, Texas, and formerly of Clinton, Illinois. Mason was reported missing in Fayette County, IL in August of 2020.

On May 26, 2021, at approximately 3:30 p.m., ISP responded to a request from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department in reference to human skeletal remains found by a farmer in a field north of U.S. Route 40, in the area of 1700N Street. On June 2, 2021, the Fayette County Coroner’s office identified the skeletal remains to be those of Mason.

The investigation remains open and ongoing and no further information is available at this time.