WHITESBURG, Tenn. — UPDATE (Aug. 21, 6:50 p.m.): Officials with the Hamblen County Sheriff's Office said they found remains believed to be a missing person Friday evening.
Deputies said they believed the remains belong to Leroy James Chamberlin, 73, of Whitesburg. However, authorities said an autopsy is needed to confirm the identity of the body.
Chamberlin disappeared in March 2019, according to officials. In July, authorities said Chamberlin's family told deputies he decided to live with a friend in Florida and had not heard from him since.
He is described as a Native American man who is more than 6 feet tall and has shoulder-length gray hair, brown eyes and an eagle tattoo on his upper left arm, according to authorities.
No foul play is suspected, officials said.
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Hamblen County deputies and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents dug up land near a home in connection with a missing person investigation.
According to Sheriff Esco Jarnagin, the agencies are investigating near a Whitesburg home on the Hamblen/Hawkins county lines at Simpson Road.
Jarnagin said authorities established a dig site near the home, but did not identify the person they are searching for or the reason behind the dig site.
This story is developing and will be updated.