Man's Remains Identified 7 Years After He Vanished. But Sister Says Police Have More to Find

03/26/2025 08:30 PM

William Cross went missing in 2018 and his sister, Ashley, has been searching for him since

In 2018, Ashley Cross' brother, William, went missing after going for a walk in the woods.

Now, seven years later, a set of remains found near a Kentucky stream have been identified as his.

However, according to Ashley, the search for William is still not over — and she and her family are working with authorities to find the rest of his body.

"We were told his remains were identified as those found in 2023," she wrote on a GoFundMe campaign on Saturday, March 22. "Only partial remains were found. So we will be out this week with law enforcement searching for the rest of my brother."  

She added, "This is not a typical situation or is it easy. My heart and soul is crushed. No one should have to go out to find the rest of their loved one. No one should have to search for someone for [years]." 

Related: Remains Found by Stream Identified as Man Who Vanished in 2018 After Taking Walk in the Woods

In a plea on the digital fundraiser, Ashley wrote, "We appreciate any help we can get to pay for [the] cost of having [the] remains taken care of… My mother and I are asking for any help possible to make this process any bit easier." 

One day earlier, on Friday, March 21, the Scott County Sheriff's Office confirmed that remains first found in 2023 belonged to William, who was reported missing on May 18, 2018.

According to ABC affiliate WATE, the Tennessee man was 29 years old at the time of his disappearance.

Related: Human Remains Found in Washington After Washing Ashore 16 Years Ago Identified as Teen Who Disappeared from Home

William, who lived in Scott County, Tenn., was dropped off in Whitley City, Ky., on the day that he vanished, the McCreary Journal reported. The outlet added that while speaking to a family member on the phone around midnight, he said that he was walking through the woods. 

"The call disconnected, and [William] was not seen alive or heard from thereafter," per a missing persons bulletin cited by the Journal.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.          

In October 2023, a teenager discovered human remains while hiking in a wooded area in Revelo, with the Journal reporting that the McCreary County police said that they were found "near a stream hidden by the forest."

The remains were eventually identified after they were sent out for a lengthy examination process that involved "forensic, anthropological, and DNA experts from multiple states" before a forensic lab with the Kentucky State Police was able to make a match between Will and his mother, the outlet reported.  

PEOPLE reached out to the Scott County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, March 25, for additional information.