CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a three-month search, a family has closure after the body of their loved one was found this week.
Clarksville Police identified the remains of 20-year-old Justin Sawyer which were found in Clarksville near Kennedy Road.
A Nashville medical examiner will determine his cause of death. His family says his body was badly burned.
His sister Lauren Sawyer Lauren says her brother was a great student who was wise beyond his years. She said, "he’s the kind of man you would want your daughter to marry, and that’s not because that’s my brother. He is such a gentleman. He knows how to treat any and everyone.” She described him as someone you'd always want around.
"He was so unproblematic. He does not like drama. He doesn't like confusion. He just wants everybody to get along," said Sawyer.
She said despite suffering from asthma and seizures, Sawyer was always a hard worker and aspired to be an entrepreneur. Now that his body has been found she feels a sense of closure.
"We knew he was going to come home. We kind of knew it wasn't going to be easy but then again that's the spiritual aspect but we knew our baby was coming home. My mother and I, we just needed that closure to move forward in our next chapter of life," Sawyer said. “He wanted to know why God brought us here just for bad things to happen to us. He couldn’t understand it, and even though he couldn’t understand, he still did right, he still kept his faith and he earned his wings.”
Justin is believed to have been killed during a robbery in Oak Grove, Kentucky, according to a report by the Leaf Chronicle. Three men were arrested in his disappearance. They each pleaded not guilty during a Zoom arraignment hearing Wednesday in Christian County.
Limited information was released about the remains and police said the investigation is active. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kilby at 931-648-0656, ext. 5651 or the tipline at 931-645-6477.
