Body found in Lake Johnson identified as missing Durham man

Authorities confirmed the identity of the person as Demario Antonio Liles, 30. Liles was the subject of a missing person investigation in the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

The discovery of the body was initially reported as a “medical emergency" but was later treated as a death investigation. Police stressed there is no safety concern to the public.

Liles' family in Durham claimed his car, which had been missing since New Year's Eve, was found in the same location where authorities were searching.

Liles went to celebrate on New Year's Eve in Raleigh and has not been heard from since. Family members told WRAL they heard from friends that Liles got in a fight, and the people he was fighting followed him out of the club.

They claimed his car was found in Raleigh about 20 minutes from the club at 4601 Avent Ferry Road and that the car was damaged.

Liles has two sons, ages 3 and 10, his family said.

"He has two boys and that's all that really matters," said Nieshia Liles, Demario Liles' sister. "Nothing else. Nobody else's feelings other than that. He has two boys and they got to look up to him. Everybody needs their daddy."

His family said they believed Liles was dead and suspected that his body was in Lake Johnson.

"I feel his cries, you know what I'm saying," his father Hiram Lynch said. "He's frozen somewhere. Just give him back. That's all we want."

"I don't know where they put him at," Lynch said. "But at least they could do this. Take his body and put it where someone could find it. At least do that for me."

"My brother means a lot to me," Nieshia Liles said. "He means a lot to his kids."