COPIAH COUNTY — Authorities are asking for the public’s help identifying a man whose body was recovered from the Pearl River in Copiah County on Saturday.
Copiah County Sheriff Byron Swilley said a person on the river spotted what appeared to be a body at about 1 p.m. and contacted the sheriff’s office. Around 2:54 p.m., the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks spotted the body again and were able to recover it near the Earl Allen Boat Ramp in the Rockport area.
Swilley said investigators have not yet been able to identify the man, and the body has been sent to the Mississippi Crime Laboratory for examination and identification.
Authorities do not yet know the man’s age or race, but believe the body had likely been in the water for about a week. Swilley noted that swift currents on the Pearl River make it difficult to determine where the body may have entered the water.
“It was traveling,” he said. “It was moving quickly with the currents.”
Investigators have contacted other agencies to determine whether any missing persons reports may be connected to the case.
“We’re working this as a death investigation,” Swilley said. “Through the crime lab, we want to determine if there was any foul play involved.”
Swilley said investigators hope that publicizing the discovery will lead family members or another law enforcement agency to provide information that could help identify the man.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact the Copiah County Sheriff’s Office.
