The “possible bone remains” recovered from Springfield in October 2025 have been identified.
According to Springfield Public Affairs Coordinator Kathryn Stewart, the remains recovered from Sulphur Fork Creek on Oct. 4, 2025 have been identified as 68-year-old Joseph Frank Benton, the patriarch of a family long connected to the 2004 disappearance of Jennifer, 22, and her 3-year-old daughter Adrianna Wix.
More: More human remains recovered at Springfield Greenway, identification underway
The bones were discovered over a three-day period, Oct. 4-6, 2025, when Springfield Greenway visitors called Springfield Police about human remains found in the creek.
The remains showed “significant signs of decomposition,” The Tennessean previously reported.
A human leg was recovered in the area in July 2025, also belonging to Benton.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation notified the Springfield Police Department Investigation Division on Jan. 20 of the preliminary DNA match, according to a release.
TBI identified a temporal bone as belonging to Benton.
Officials say cause of death and the location where the death may have occurred have not been found.
Joseph Frank Benton was never reported missing before his leg was found in July, the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office previously confirmed to The Tennessean.
Officials say they aren’t releasing any other details at this time.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com. Breaking news reporter Kirsten Fiscus contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Human remains found in Springfield creek get DNA match. The latest