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Human skull found in woods identified as missing Marlborough man

BLANDFORD, Mass. — A human skull found in the woods in Blandford belongs to a Marlborough man who went missing five years ago, the Hampden County DA says.

On Sunday, hunters found partial human remains, including the skull, in the Knittel Conservation area. State Police troopers responded to the scene.

The remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for forensic testing and possible identification.

According to the Medical Examiner, the remains have been positively identified as that of Milton Eldredge, a Marlborough man who was reported missing in June 2014.

Eldredge's wife, Karen Eldredge, says he struggled with an opioid addiction for years in the early 2000s.

Karen says the last time she saw her husband was when he went for a walk on the day he went missing.

"He had been extremely depressed, and I'm mad at myself because I thought I should've made him go to a psych hospital," Karen said. "He never just disappeared and didn't call or contact any of us."

Eldredge, 59 at the time he went missing, would have been 64 today.

Authorities continue to investigate this death. So far, no suspects have been named.

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