SARASOTA, FL — The body of missing 14-year-old Jabez Spann has been discovered in a rural stretch of Manatee County, more than 17 months since the boy’s disappearance.

“Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:30 p.m. skeletal remains were found in a rural portion of Manatee County west of I-75 under the jurisdiction of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” said Deputy Police Chief Pat Robinson of the Sarasota Police Department.

Robinson said the child’s body was found by a man repairing a fence but police did not release the exact location. A positive identification was made by a forensic dental expert earlier Tuesday. The match was confirmed by a medical examiner.

The discovery was announced Tuesday at a late-night news conference by the Sarasota Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at Sarasota Police Headquarters.

“It’s unknown how long those skeletal remains were at the location where they were located, or if they were transported there from somewhere else,” Robinson explained.

Spann, who would have turned 16 in December, was last seen in the area of 22nd Street as he was on his way to a friend’s house after leaving a memorial service on Sept. 4, 2017, six days before Hurricane Irma struck Florida.

According to a missing person’s poster on the FBI website, Spann may have witnessed the murder of the person whose memorial he attended.

Robinson said police do not believe Spann voluntarily traveled to where his body was found. “This was outside of our original search area,” Robinson said.

A statewide alert for Spann was subsequently issued and Black Lives Matter Manasota also took to the streets to help find the teenager.

“We’ve always felt that there are individuals in our community that are scared to come forward,” Robinson said. “The folks that did it, we believe are from our community. We know that people in our community know things that they haven’t shared yet.”

Robinson said a reward had grown to $50,000 in the case.

“This was somebody’s child that people cared deeply about,” Robinson added.

To report a tip, call Detective Megan Buck. Alternatively, leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or by visiting www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.

Photo of Jabez Spann courtesy Sarasota Police Department.