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Skeletal remains found in York County identified

Posted at 2:08 PM, Sep 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-20 14:08:42-04

YORK COUNTY, Va. – Skeletal remains found in York County in May of 2017 have been identified and a cause of death has been determined.

The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office confirms the remains are those of Michael Andrew Ellis, a white male with a last known address in West Point, Virginia.

Ellis was estranged from his family and was last seen by family members in 2012. He would have been 26-years-old at the time.

The Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause and manner of his death to be a suicide by hanging. An exact date of his death was unable to be determined.

Authorities were able to identify his remains based off of DNA and evidence recovered from the scene as well as additional follow-up investigations by the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.

A Virginia ID card belonging to Ellis was found at the location where his remains were found. Other evidence at the scene supports his cause and manner of death.

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