Heartbreak: Body of missing Portsmouth teen found

Owen Cameron was last seen Saturday night in Middletown

Posted 3/27/24

MIDDLETOWN — The body of Portsmouth teen Owen B. Cameron, who was last seen Saturday night after leaving his Middletown job, was discovered late this morning in that town.

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Heartbreak: Body of missing Portsmouth teen found

Owen Cameron was last seen Saturday night in Middletown

Posted

MIDDLETOWN — The body of Portsmouth teen Owen B. Cameron, who was last seen Saturday night after leaving his Middletown job, was discovered late this morning, March 27,  in that town.

According to Middletown Police, the 17-year-old’s body was discovered partially submerged in a small body of water near the Newport State Airport 

During a search using all-terrain vehicles around the airport that was also joined by Portsmouth and Newport police departments and the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, Middletown Police said the body was discovered around 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

No foul play is suspected, according to police. The R.I. State Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an investigation into the reason for Owen’s death. 

In an e-mail sent to the school community this afternoon, Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy said the district will offer counseling support to students on Thursday and in the coming weeks.

Owen was “recently focused on pursuing a career as an electrician,” Kenworthy said. “Our thoughts are with Owen’s family and friends and we will be respecting their privacy during this difficult period.”

Owen was last seen when he left his job at Anthony’s Seafood at 963 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, at about 7:15 p.m. on Saturday. He left the area on foot wearing a navy blue Anthony’s Seafood shirt, dark colored pants, and a baseball cap.

A flyer featuring two photos of Owen had been circulating on social media in the hopes of ascertaining information regarding his whereabouts.

On her Facebook page, Owen’s mother Ginger Cameron said prior to Saturday night, the family had “never gone a minute not knowing where Owen is. Anyone who knows us knows we are a tight-knit family.”

On Monday she posted there was a confirmed siting of Owen at a Neon Marketplace at 535 East Main Road, Middletown, at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

She said the police had been working with the R.I. Public Transit Authority in case Owen hopped on a bus. On Tuesday, however, she stated on Facebook that “the thought is that he is still on the island.”

In a post before Wednesday’s tragic news, she thanked the community for their “outpouring of love and support."

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.