Timothy Jason Smart of Boiling Spring Lakes disappeared in 1995

BRUNSWICK COUNTY -- Authorities have found remains that they believe are those of a Boiling Spring Lakes man missing for 24 years.

The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that agents have located skeletal remains believed to be those of Timothy Jason Smart. Smart, age 25, disappeared from Boiling Spring Lakes in 1995.

Agents and officers with the Boiling Spring Lakes Police Department located the remains Tuesday, buried in a wooded area off West Boiling Spring Road. The N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the identity and cause of death, according to a news release.

“Sometimes the wheels of justice turn slowly," the release quoted Kellie Hodges, SBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge. "This case is an example of what happens when agencies utilize all of their resources to collaborate. Everyone whose worked on this case, past and present, is thankful to be able to bring closure to Tim’s family and friends after all these years."

In July, police arrested a Wilmington man in connection with Smart's presumed murder.

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Bryan Lee O’Daniels, 44, was charged with one count of murder. At a bond hearing, Brunswick and Columbus County District Attorney Jon David clarified that the charge is currently undesignated murder, and that investigators will determine whether the charge is first or second degree at a later date.

O'Daniels remains in the Brunswick County jail with bail set at $850,000.

Investigators credited a WWAY special on Smart's apparent murder with helping investigators solve the cold case. In May 2018, the station aired an episode of its #Unsolved series by Hannah Patrick, focused on Smart’s case.

After the episode aired, an anonymous caller contacted the SBI claiming to have information about Smart’s murder and disappearance. Authorities tracked the source of the call and conducted a series of interviews. David said the information came from O’Daniels’ circle of friends from the mid-1990s, one of whom had been in a dating relationship with O’Daniels. Investigators said witnesses provided corroborative information that included the location and disposal of Smart’s body.

Investigators claim that O’Daniels met Smart at the Brunswick County jail when Smart was charged with DWI in June 1995. Smart, a long-distance truck driver, later went to stay with O’Daniels at his home on South Shore Drive in Boiling Spring Lakes.

Smart was last seen in the town on July 15, 1995. A friend said Smart was hitchhiking to a job in South Carolina, but never showed up. After not hearing from him for a couple of weeks, Smart’s mother called from California and reported him missing to Boiling Spring Lakes police.

Reporter Cammie Bellamy can be reached at 910-343-2339 or Cammie.Bellamy@StarNewsOnline.com.