Lance James has been missing since early December,
CLEMENTON -- Authorities identified a body found in a lake as a former U.S. Marine who was reported missing in December, according to authorities.
Lance James, 29, in this U.S. Marine Corps photo. James has been missing since Dec. 2, 2016 and family are offering a reward for information on his whereabouts. Authorities found the body of Lance James Friday at Bottom Lake in Clementon.
James' family thanks everybody who volunteered their time and helped search for him, according to his sister Jessica Hassan.
"There are no words to express the deep hurt, heartache and anger we feel," Hassan posted on Facebook. "Although we are grateful to have some closure on these hard last 42 days, this is not the ending we wanted."
James, 29, was last seen on Dec. 2 getting escorted out of Hide-A-Way Tavern in Clementon after getting into a fight with a bar patron.
James doesn't own a car and police believe he was attempting to walk to his home near Clementon Park. He never arrived home and left his jacket and cellphone at the bar.
James suffers from post-traumatic stress from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his family. He left enlisted in 2007 and left the military in 2012.
In the search for James, authorities attempted to look at nearby bodies of water, including Bottom Lake, but were unable to due to ice, according to 6ABC.com.
Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.