Jesse Lee Farber

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

After a decade of searching, the partial remains of Jesse Lee Farber have been found in a wooded area of Walker Township, Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville announced Friday, Oct. 24.

Individuals riding ATVs in Walker Township, Schuylkill County, reported discovering human remains near a trail in July 2025, according to investigators. Troopers responded and recovered the bones, which were confirmed to be human through laboratory analysis. The remains were positively identified as those of Jesse Lee Farber, who had been missing from Tamaqua since Aug. 11, 2015.

Family members were notified following the discovery, police said. Subsequent searches in the same area led to the recovery of additional remains, with assistance from the Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office and the Northeast Search and Rescue canine team.

In an emotional statement shared on the Finding Jesse Farber Facebook page, loved ones confirmed the identification, writing:

“After ten long years, partial remains of Jesse Farber have been found. A few weeks ago, while searching with a group of dedicated volunteers, we discovered several bones. Law enforcement was immediately notified, and the coroner later confirmed the remains were human.”

The post explained that Farber’s remains were discovered in a new search zone identified through renewed cell tower data analysis. Volunteers and law enforcement had spent years combing the rugged Tamaqua mountains, determined to bring him home.

“This is a bittersweet moment,” the statement continued. “While I am deeply grateful to finally have confirmation that the remains are Jesse’s, it’s also heartbreaking to let go of that small hope that he might still return to us someday.”

Loved ones extended gratitude to Pennsylvania State Police, the Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office, the Tamaqua Police Department, and especially Chief Rick Hobbs, for their persistence and support throughout the investigation.

The search for the remainder of Farber’s remains continues, and specialized recovery efforts are scheduled in the coming weeks. A public Celebration of Life is being planned to honor Jesse and all those who have kept his story alive.

Farber vanished on Aug. 11, 2015, after calling his girlfriend, Rachel Carroll, to say he was being chased by coyotes in the woods near Tamaqua Area High School. The call ended abruptly as his phone battery died.

Police said the investigation into Farber’s death remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Jordan Seiler at 570-874-5300.