Authorities have confirmed that human remains discovered over the past year belong to an Alabama man who went missing in 2024. This revelation was made earlier this week.

Curtis Taylor Jr., aged 25, resided just across from the Center Point property where a dog made a startling find in August 2024. According to WBRC, the dog brought its owner a human skull, which was later found to have a gunshot wound, prompting the involvement of law enforcement.

In December, four months after the initial discovery, the same dog returned with a tibia bone. By March 2025, investigators concluded that both the skull and the tibia belonged to the same individual.

Further developments occurred in April 2025 when AL.com reported that the dog appeared with yet another tibia bone in the yard. A subsequent search led to the unearthing of a mandible.

Authorities confirmed that these latest bones were also from the same person. To locate the source of these remains, officials fitted the dog with a GPS tracker.

According to AL.com, investigators did not locate any more bones despite studying the dog’s roaming patterns. By August 2025, however, skeletal remains were discovered on wooded property belonging to Taylor’s family. The property was located across the street from the dog’s owner’s home.

On Thursday, Jefferson County police told AL.com that all of the bones belong to Taylor —  who was last seen alive on February 6, 2024.

Taylor, who was legally blind but had some vision, was living with his mother when he told her he was going to his father’s home, which is also in Center Point. Taylor’s mother reportedly believed he was with his father, but alarms were raised when she did not hear from him for two weeks. The mother later learned Taylor never made it to his father’s home, according to AL.com.

The dog who discovered Taylor’s bones — a German Shepherd mix named Chicharin — was fatally hit by a car after discovering the last set of bones. Chicharin’s owner told WBRC that she finds the situation suspicious because there are stop signs and speed bumps in the area.

Meanwhile, Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates told AL.com that DNA and dental records were used to identify the bones.. Taylor’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Anyone with information regarding this case should call Jefferson County investigators at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

[Feature Photo: Jefferson County coroner]