JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As Jacksonville police work to identify a body found in Fort Caroline, the family members of a missing Jacksonville man said they already know to whom the body belonged.

A man's body was found Tuesday morning in a heavily wooded area of the Fort Caroline National Memorial, about 7 miles from where 48-year-old Dewey "Buddy" Horne was last seen four weeks ago.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Rick Graham said homicide detectives searched the area in the 13000 block of Fort Caroline Road after a boy found an abandoned bicycle in the area.

By 9 a.m., they found the badly decomposed human remains.

"We do have a missing persons case open currently where there is a blue bicycle involved," Graham said. "Homicide detectives did a very thorough search of the area and found the body this morning."

Horne was last seen Feb. 28 riding a blue bicycle from his neighborhood in The Woods, a gated community at the corner of Atlantic and Hodges boulevards. Police have said they suspected foul play in his disappearance as he left without taking his keys, wallet or glasses.

Police said because of the blue bike they were looking into whether the body is Horne. However, the condition of the body was making it difficult to identify.

Graham said his officers have updated the Horne family on the findings even though no identification was available.

"It's too early to speculate. We're continuing our investigation at this time and we do suspect foul play," Graham said.

Horne's best friend of 35 years, Jack Boyd, said he and the family think the body is their loved one, and that they hope to learn more about what happened as the police investigation continues.

"We don't have 100 percent identification until the forensics come back, but there's a great possibility this is Buddy," Boyd said. "Buddy is the best friend a guy could ever have and life will not ever be the same for me, and I'm sure for those who know him, without Buddy."

Horne's family members told Channel 4 reporter Laura Mazzeo they are going through a very difficult time, dealing with the possibility that their loved one may have been found.

JSO said the death is being investigated as a homicide.