Missing North Carolina man Michael Cox found dismembered in concrete barrel

A North Carolina man that had been missing for one month was found dismembered and buried inside a barrel filled with concrete behind his alleged killer’s home, police said.

Jackie Lamar Bright, who has an extensive rap sheet, was charged with the murder of Michael Bradley Cox after police found the damning evidence on his property Jan. 26, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Cox, 40, had been missing since Dec. 24.

Police did not reveal what led them to Bright’s Sanford property, but said they executed a search warrant over the course of two days and found the 55-gallon barrel.

The vat had been hidden in a “heavily wooded area” on Bright’s land and was filled with concrete. Police suspected human remains were inside.

“The Medical Examiner’s Office removed the concrete and discovered a dismembered body inside of the barrel,” the sheriff’s office said.

The remains were identified as Cox, who at that time had not been heard from for more than one month.

Bright, 42, had only been out of prison for seven months and was on parole when Cox went missing, police said.

He was arrested on Jan. 6 for unrelated charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and controlled substance but was bonded out of jail.

Bright was arrested again five days later for carrying a controlled substance.

According to NBC15, detectives found a stolen side-by-side ATV inside a covered outbuilding on Bright’s land during their search.

The motive for the alleged murder is still unknown.

Bright is in custody of the North Carolina Department of Corrections as police continue investigating.