Columbus man’s body found in southwest Ohio

The Warren County sheriff and coroner’s office are investigating the death of a Columbus man whose skeletal remains were found this month in a wooded area near Clarksville in southwestern Ohio.

Jerold C. Haas, 43, was reported missing to Columbus police after he was last seen alive Aug. 31 at a gas station along Interstate 71 at the Route 73 Wilmington/Waynesville exit in Clinton County. Haas had unexpectedly left the car of a friend who had given him a ride, according to The Dayton Daily News.

Hunters on Nov. 3 found remains, later identified as Haas, in a wooded area off Clarksville Road in Warren County, near the Clinton County line and the village of Clarksville, said Doyle Burke, chief investigator for the Warren County coroner’s office.

The remains were skeletal but there was a wallet that contained Haas’ identification. Further confirmation was done through dental records, Burke said.

“There are no obvious signs of violence,” Burke said.

But because of the condition of the remains, a forensic anthropologist has been brought in to help determine a cause of death, Burke said. The sheriff’s office is investigating the circumstances surrounding Haas’ death.

Haas had lived in Downtown Columbus and was involved with Tessr Foundation, a Columbus company that develops blockchain computer technologies.