ASCENSION PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) — The remains of a missing Gonzales man have been found in St. James Parish on Saturday, Jan. 28.

According to Sheriff Bobby Webre, the body of Robert Lee Hampton, 26, was found in a sugarcane field in Convent, La. Hampton lived in Bay City, TX, but was visiting family living in Ascension Parish. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office began an investigation on Hampton after his family reported him missing on Jan. 19.

The St. James Sheriff’s Office says they received a call from Wildlife and Fisheries that someone found a Black male body on a sugarcane field road in Convent. Once deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered the male subject was shot multiple times. Detectives were able to identify the body of the on Monday, Jan. 30 as the same subject that went missing.

Since Hampton’s body has been discovered, the St. James Sheriff’s Office along with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office is working to determine the motive and gather a suspect. Hampton was last seen on Jan. 19, along with his vehicle, which was found burned in Ascension Parish.

Anyone with information on the murder of Robert Lee Hampton is asked to contact the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office at 225-562-2200.