Sharkey County Identifies Human Remains Found by Hunters as Randolph Haley Jr.

Sharkey County Coroner Robert Barfield announced Feb. 11, 2026 that skeletal remains discovered in November 2024 at a campsite in the Delta National Forest were identified as 40-year-old Randolph Haley Jr. The remains were found by two hunters who reported a strong, foul odor and immediately contacted law enforcement.

County officials say the campsite where the hunters discovered the remains sits roughly four miles from Dummy Line Road inside the Delta National Forest in Sharkey County. The hunters located skeletal human remains at the camp during their walk; Sharkey County Coroner Robert Barfield said the remains had been there "for some time."

A homicide investigation was opened after the discovery in November 2024, and state agencies are assisting local authorities. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been involved in the probe, and officials expect analysis by the Mississippi State Crime Lab as part of the identification and forensic work. "A homicide investigation was opened following the discovery. Officials have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding Haley’s death, and the investigation remains ongoing. No further information is available at this time."

Delta National Forest, which lies within Sharkey County and covers more than 60,000 acres, is a patchwork of public land where residents and visitors from Lafayette County and across the Delta hunt and camp seasonally. The discovery of Haleys remains at a campsite approximately four miles from Dummy Line Road underscores the challenges of investigating incidents in remote federal forest tracts and coordinating among the Sharkey County Coroner's Office, local deputies, and state crime lab personnel.

Sharkey County Coroner Robert Barfield is the announcing authority on the identification; investigators continue to process forensic results and have not released a cause or manner of death. The identification announcement on Feb. 11, 2026 follows the initial November 2024 discovery and the coroner’s assessment that the remains were long-standing at the scene.

The homicide investigation into the death of Randolph Haley Jr. remains active as state and local agencies pursue forensic analysis and investigative leads. Authorities have not provided additional public details about suspects, motive, or next steps in the probe.