Brandon McDonald Remains Identified
SCOTLAND COUNTY, N.C. – Scotland County authorities have confirmed that human remains found near the area where a man vanished more than five years ago belong to Brandon Carl Wayne McDonald, bringing long-awaited answers to a mystery that has haunted his family and the community since 2021.
McDonald, who was 37 at the time of his disappearance, left his Clarkton home during the early morning hours of March 25, 2021, telling no one where he was headed. He never made it back.
Remains Confirmed After Years of Searching
Scotland County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Earl Haywood Jr., the lead investigator on the case, announced Thursday that remains located last week were positively identified as McDonald through medical testing.
“We are grateful for the family members and friends of Brandon Carl Wayne McDonald who never stopped pursuing justice for him,” Haywood said. “And to the person who took the time to notify law enforcement of the bone finding — we offer a special thank you.”
McDonald’s last known movements remained a chilling trail.
According to The Charley Project, his phone pinged around Cooper Street in Laurinburg shortly after he left home around 3 a.m. At 7:10 a.m., he called his father and said he was heading back home within the hour — but he was never heard from again.
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Later that same day, his wrecked pickup truck was found abandoned in Hope Mills, nearly 40 miles from Laurinburg.
Task Force Break Leads to Multiple Arrests
A cold case task force formed last summer breathed new life into the investigation and ultimately led to three arrests.
Authorities have charged:
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Michael Anthony “Blue” Bethea Jr., 32
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Shelena Lynn Clark, 37
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LaKeithan “Joe” JuJuan Tyson, 25
All three face first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and concealment of death charges.
Investigators say that during a two-day search of the area where McDonald was last believed to be, deputies and an SBI K9 unit uncovered multiple pieces of evidence — including the human remains investigators now know belong to McDonald.
Investigation Still Active
Though a major break has finally arrived in the years-old mystery, the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that their work is far from finished.
Additional updates are expected as investigators continue building the case.
