Missing Owasso Man's Body Found In Tulsa's Mohawk Park After Year-Long Search

The Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the human remains found at Mohawk Park have been identified as Timothy Vanmatre.

Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office said 57-year-old Timothy VanMatre was seen on security cameras leaving his home in Owasso around 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 18th, 2023. His family found his car an hour later near 66th Street North and Mingo but VanMatre was nowhere to be found.

Previous Story: Family Of Missing Owasso Man Search For Answers

On Monday, nearly one year later, a Tulsa man was shed hunting at Mohawk Park when he discovered a human skull and bones and called law enforcement. Tulsa Police responded to the scene to investigate. Detectives from TCSO assisted because the remains were found a mile from where VanMatre's car was found in 2023.

According to TCSO, there were no signs of foul play, but the investigation is ongoing. In a message on Facebook, VanMatre's family confirmed that they were informed by law enforcement of the discovery and said it appeared their father died by suicide.

"It’s with great sadness that we confirm that the body found at Mohawk park on Monday, was indeed our father, Timothy VanMatre. It appears that our dad took his own life on March 18, 2023 and almost a year later his remains were discovered approximately a mile and a half from where his car was found. The police have informed us that this was a difficult area to get to which is why we were not able to find him. We want to express gratitude to those who helped us search, offered condolences, and supported us over the last year. We are experiencing both relief and profound sadness as we deal with this news."

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Story Timeline: Human Remains Found At Mohawk Park

Tulsa Police say the remains were found on the north side of the park, and investigators have been at the park all day Tuesday collecting evidence.

Matthew Lewis says he has shed hunted this exact area three or four times recently but took a different path this time and couldn't believe what he found.

"I didn't know what to think. I was not scared, but I was spooked walking out,” said Lewis.

Lewis spends a lot of time in the woods looking for deer antlers this time of year, so he headed to Mohawk part when he got off work Monday night.

"I've seen a lot of different bones out there in shed hunting. I mean, you see a lot of different stuff, and this looked to be human,” said Lewis.

Lewis says he was about to leave for the night and noticed something white about 50 yards away, so he used his binoculars, then walked over to check it out and knew immediately it was a human skull. He says he took a picture, then walked out and called police.

"They started to poke around a little further because I didn't walk any further after I found it, I back out and they had found some clothes, some other bones, some car keys, a watch,” said Lewis.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's office is also assisting in the investigation because they're working on a case of an Owasso man who went missing last March. Timothy Vanmatre's car was found three days later near 66th Street North and Mingo, which is about a mile from where the remains were found this week.

"I hope that if that's who that is, that this, you know, helps her and the rest of the family out,” said Lewis.

The Medical Examiner's office will confirm the identity of the remains and determine a cause of death.

It is our policy to provide resources for anybody considering self-harm when reporting a situation involving suicide or a suicide attempt. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.

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