Major update after young dad Jayden Harwood went missing in Sydney’s southwest

A man’s body has been located following an extensive search of bushland in Sydney’s southwest today as officers continue to search for a missing father. 

Father-of-two Jayden Harwood, 20, disappeared on March 1 while visiting family in Ingleburn, in Sydney’s south-west, with his girlfriend Jade Holmes and their baby.

About 11.45am on Saturday police – with assistance from NSW State Emergency Service – were conducting a land search in bushland near the Ingleburn area as part of a search for the missing man.

During the search the remains of a man suspected to be that of the 20-year-old were located, though the identity has not been confirmed.

Detectives have established a crime scene and commenced Strike Force Devon to investigate the incident.

Mr Harwood’s mother Alana Wallace, from Newcastle, NSW, said Mr Harwood went out for a walk on March 1 after some ‘family dramas’, but was never seen again by them.

Within hours, she received a bizarre call from strangers telling her Mr Harwood had turned up at their door, dazed, dishevelled and confused, and begging for help.

‘It was a young man and his mum on the phone at first because Jayden had knocked on their door asking for help,’ Ms Wallace told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

Police suspect remains found in Ingleburn on Saturday matched the profile of missing father-of-two Jayden Harwood, 20, (pictured) though the identity has not yet been confirmed

Mr Harwood’s mother Alana Wallace (pictured with her youngest son Nate) offered her prized family car in exchange for fresh information earlier this year

‘He was confused and he told us he had been assaulted and was hurt and didn’t know how to get back to Jade’s parents’ house.

‘That was the last contact ever made. He didn’t say what exactly had happened or who had done it – he was really disoriented.’

Ms Wallace was in the middle of an eighth birthday party for her second son Nate at the time of the call, and tried to put on a brave face while she anxiously waited for more news.

But she never heard anything more. His phone was switched off and he never returned to his girlfriend or their 10-month-old daughter.

His girlfriend, Ms Holmes, 20, spent two days attempting to locate her missing boyfriend before returning to the couple’s home in Wallsend, Newcastle.  

‘I reported him missing on March 3, 48 hours after that call, and again on March 6 which is when they took me seriously and did the official missing person’s report,’ she said.

‘We drove down to join the ground search that weekend, on March 8, a week after he disappeared.’

Friends and family joined SES search teams and trained tracker dogs in the hunt and Ms Wallace pinned up countless flyers in the area and went door-to-door to beg for help. 

His girlfriend Jade Holmes, 20, (pictured) waited for him to return at her parents house for two days before heading back to Newcastle

Detectives have established a crime scene and commenced Strike Force Devon to investigate the incident since finding remains suspected to belong to Mr Harwood (pictured) 

Ms Wallace offered her prized family car in exchange for fresh information at the time. 

‘I’m prepared to give $10,000 and my VE Commodore Sports Wagon Series 1 because I need to know if he is alive,’ she said.

‘That’s all I have got, it’s the one thing I know people will want. I’d give my last breath, I’d give anything, I’d give my life just to know.

‘I’m never ever going to stop, I’m never going to back down.’

Police said the remains will undergo a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death. 

Investigations under Strike Force Devon will continue. 

If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk