Missing teen's remains found 1 year later

Jahreeka Sims was one of the last people to see Corbin Odell Johnson alive as she and another friend chatted with him at 4 p.m. July 11, 2018, via the Face Time video app.

Exactly one year later, the 18-year-old's skeletal remains were discovered Thursday wrapped up and buried off Utsey Road, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which identified him Monday night. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

"I'm at a loss for words," Sims said. "I don't know what to do right now. How could people be so evil?"

Johnson's father, Corey Morman, told police a year ago that he wasn't aware of any issues with his son, according to the July 13 missing-person report. He declined to comment Tuesday but posted of his love for his son late that day on Facebook.

"You will forever be in our hearts... Love you Son," it said above a video montage of Johnson from birth to teen age.

Johnson's mother, Milissa Morman-Jackson, also posted many memories of her son over the past year, including one a few weeks ago saying her life changed when he was reported missing. The family was set to have a memorial for him Friday night at Riverside's Memorial Park.

The missing-person report details the hours before he disappeared.

In it, Sims and her friend said at 4 p.m. Johnson said he was at Amazon for a job interview and asked them if they would get him something to eat. Johnson also said he was waiting for a ride.

The boy's father told police he had dropped off his son at 5 p.m. July 11 for another job interview with UPS, then picked him up 45 minutes later, the report said. The father brought his son to his mother's Biscayne Bay Circle house at 8 p.m. She said the last time she saw him was at 9:30 p.m.

The father, who lives at another address, said he sent his son a text message about 8:45 a.m. the next day but never got a response, "which was unusual," the report said. Johnson's family officially reported him missing about 6:30 p.m. July 13.

Johnson's trail became cold for the next year, until Thursday evening. That's when a man clearing land in the city's Northwest side unearthed the bones with his tractor, the Sheriff's Office said.

"They were at one point wrapped up either in a plastic-style bag or tarp," Sgt. Steve Rudlaff said Thursday night.

No cause of death has been released so far by police or how the remains were identified so quickly.

Dan Scanlan: (904) 359-4549