Published in the June 20, 2019 edition.
WAKEFIELD – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Wakefield Chief of Police Steven Skory confirmed today that the remains located outside a residence on Lakeshore Drive in Wakefield on Monday have been positively identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner through dental records as Clifford Bates, 54, of Dracut.
On April 29, 2018, Wakefield Police responded to Lakeshore Drive for a report of a missing person. The caller reported that her brother, Clifford Bates, had walked away from a voluntary sober home in Wakefield and that she was concerned about his well-being. Police learned that Mr. Bates had walked away from the home at approximately 7:30 a.m. and when he did not return staff at the home contacted the decedent’s sister. Police also learned that Mr. Bates did not have a cell phone and had a history of similar behavior.
An official Missing Person’s Report was filed by the decedent’s family on May 1, 2018 and police subsequently asked for the public’s help in the areas of Wakefield, Chelmsford, Lowell and Concord. Police received several tips but were unable to locate Mr. Bates.
At approximately 10:24 a.m. on June 17, 2019, a landscaper working at the 15 Lakeshore Drive residence from where Mr. Bates was reported missing, located what appeared to be human bones, shoes and clothing under leaves and brush in the rear yard, behind a shed. The residence had been vacant since December 2018 and was sold recently.
The conditions of the remains indicate that they had been outside for an extended period of time, as a result an exact time and cause of death has not been determined.
This matter is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield Police, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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Police responded to North Avenue and Prospect Street for a three-car crash yesterday at about 10 a.m.
According to police, all three vehicles were on the southbound side of North Avenue at the intersection with Prospect and Church Streets. A 2016 Honda CRV driven by a Gloucester woman was in the right (southbound only) lane. A 2005 Chrysler 300 driven by a Danvers man was stopped in the left turn only lane. A 2014 Ford Escape driven by a Wakefield man then attempted to go in between the Honda and the Chrysler, striking both cars.
The Wakefield man was cited for a lane violation.
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Also at about 10 a.m., a Paul Avenue woman reported that her car had been stolen from in front of her house. The woman said she had left the car running with the keys inside while she went in the house. When she came back out a short time later, the car was gone. The woman said that an iPad and some other personal belongings were in the car.
Responding officers located the car a short distance into some woods next to a ball field at the end of the street. A Melrose K9 was brought to the scene but was unable to locate anyone. One witness in the area claimed to have seen the car heading in the wrong direction on Doyle Avenue driven by a man with dark hair.
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At about 11:30 yesterday morning, police took a report of a theft from a Greenwood beauty salon.
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At about 1:15 p.m. yesterday, a man reported that two tires on his work truck had been punctured while on Myrtle Terrace. The man told police that he had been having an issue with a man from Malden. Police are investigating.
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Police will summons a 28-year-old Wakefield man to court for motor vehicle violations after police ran a Registry check on a 2014 Mercedes that was idling in the downtown area at about 9:30 last night. The vehicle registration came back as revoked for insurance reasons.
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At about 3:30 this morning, a caller from Salem Street was taken to Winchester Hospital after having an LSD flashback.
