Rochester Police have found a body in the backyard of a home not far from the Park Avenue neighborhood. The family of the man believe it's their missing relative.
It was a sad ending to a report of a missing man that dates back to late October. 32 year old Matthew Straton went missing, and his family and friends put up fliers and started a campaign on Facebook asking for help in finding him.
Police cordoned off a house at 27 Rowley Street on Wednesday night. They spent hours searching through the house and the backyard, and Thursday morning they confirmed that they did find a body in the yard. The circumstances of the death are still under investigation, but police say there is no danger to the neighborhood.
Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the person, but Jeremy Straton showed up at the scene in the morning and told reporters police do believe the remains are those of his brother.
"It's definitely heartbreaking, still kind of in shock, I don't really know how to react to it, I wanted to end, but not like this, I wanted it to all be over, but not in this way, I wanted him to come home."
Jeremy Straton says he and his family want to thank everyone in the Rochester area who tried to help find his brother over the last few months
Investigator Frank Camp read this statement:
"On Wednesday January 15th, Officers from the Rochester Police Department responded to 27 Rowley St. for a report of human remains in the backyard. Rochester Police Technicians were able to confirm the presence of a deceased person. The scene was secured and the recovery effort was suspended until daylight hours. The circumstances of the death are under investigation.RPD investigators and technicians will work with the Monroe County Medical Examiner to conduct a thorough examination of the area, and recover the body.This is a slow and methodical process that will take some time.There are no immediate concerns for public safety in the neighborhood. A Rochester Police Department representative will update the media periodically as the investigation progresses."
Police did not take questions from the media at the initial briefing.