PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A body was found buried on a Hastings farm property Monday. Law enforcement was on the scene off Federal Point Road due to a tip in a missing person case, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said the missing person in the case is Chad Mullen.
Earlier this month, Mullen's family and Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida offered a $15,000 reward for anyone who could provide information leading to him.
He was last seen on Sept. 9 in the area of the 455 block of San Mateo Road in Satsuma. His phone was last pinged in that location, which is a business owned by his "on-again/off-again" girlfriend Caylen Deller, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Mullen's family said they hadn't heard from him since Sept. 9 and he was reported missing Sept. 15.
When investigators arrived at the scene, they dug on the property and found a body in the ground, the sheriff's office said. The body was taken to the Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and to identify the deceased.
Detectives with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are also involved.
First Coast News crews saw what appeared to be a hole in the ground Tuesday, with a backhoe nearby.
People who work nearby say they saw investigators working at the site for several hours Monday.
"This is a very active investigation and information will be provided as it becomes available," the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
Putnam County is leading the investigation because the tip originated with the Mullen case.
No other information was provided by the sheriff's office.
This is a developing story.