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Skeletal remains found in Saugus identified as missing Haverhill man
An avid fisherman, John Lawler had his fishing pole with him when he went missing on July 14, 2023.
Officials have identified the skeletal remains found in the woods in Saugus Sunday as those of John Lawler, a Haverhill man missing since last summer.
According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner positively identified the remains on Monday, months after 53-year-old Lawler was last seen in Saugus on July 14.
The case remains open pending the official determination of Lawler’s cause of death, according to the DA’s office.
Someone discovered his remains while walking their dog in the woods off of David Drive in Saugus shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, according to officials. At the time, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli said there was no known risk to the public.
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Lawler was staying at a nearby Salvation Army rehab center when he went missing, his son Sean told Boston.com last September. Lawler was believed to have left the rehab center to go fishing; he took his fishing pole and debit card with him on July 14.
Back in September, Sean Lawler suggested that his father might have gotten hurt while fishing, recalling a previous time when John Lawler had to be pulled from the water following an injury. Police searched Hawkes Pond in Saugus with a dive team but found no sign of Lawler, Boston.com reported at the time.
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Lawler was a father of four and a grandfather of five. Following Tuesday’s announcement, his family launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his funeral expenses.
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