CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A 35-year-old Citrus County man who disappeared in late September was found dead behind a storage facility in Crystal River, bringing a tragic end to a search that began after his vehicle was discovered abandoned with its keys still in the ignition.
According to reports, Jonathan Watling, whose disappearance prompted a missing-person investigation by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, was last seen on Sept. 25, according to information released by the Sheriff’s Office. His body was later discovered behind a storage facility.
The circumstances surrounding Watling’s death, including how he came to be at the facility and what happened in the hours after he disappeared, have not been fully established in the publicly available information.
Disappearance and search
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office received a missing-person report for Watling on Sept. 26, one day after he was last seen leaving his residence.
According to a public notice issued by the Sheriff’s Office, Watling left his residence at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 with another man in a white Ford F-150. The two reportedly planned to go berry picking.
The vehicle was later located abandoned near the tree line at 730 N. Suncoast Boulevard. The keys were still in the ignition, but Watling was nowhere to be found.
Watling was described as a 35-year-old white man, approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 144 pounds. He had brown hair, brown eyes and a distinctive Batman logo tattoo on his right calf. He was last seen wearing a white or gray T-shirt, blue jeans and brown boots.
The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit asked members of the public to provide information that could help locate Watling or establish his whereabouts.
Body discovered behind storage facility
Days after Watling’s disappearance, authorities discovered his body behind a storage facility in Crystal River.
The discovery shifted the investigation from a missing-person search to an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Although the reported location of the discovery has been identified, publicly accessible information does not establish the precise time the body was found, the condition in which it was discovered or the events that led investigators to the location.
Questions surrounding the investigation
Watling’s disappearance and subsequent death raise several questions that remain unanswered in the available reports.
Investigators may seek to establish the identity of the man who accompanied Watling on Sept. 25, the reason the truck was abandoned and the movements of those involved after the vehicle was left near North Suncoast Boulevard.
However, there is no verified public evidence establishing that the man who accompanied Watling was involved in his death or that a crime occurred.
The cause and manner of Watling’s death, whether an autopsy identified evidence of trauma, and whether investigators have identified any suspects have not been confirmed.
If you have any information about this case you are asked to contact the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
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