A Florida man who has been missing since March was found dead in the Mississippi River Monday. On Thursday, East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office in Louisiana identified the body as Jody Bert, 44, from Florida.
The Coast Guard contacted the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office about a body found in the river around 11:30 pm Monday. A dredging company working in the river found the body first and reported it.
According to East Baton Rouge Corner’s Office, the Maritime unit recovered the body from the river and turned it over to the coroner’s office to determine cause of death. It was reported that no foul play had occurred.
Police confirmed that the man found in the Mississippi River was Bert. The Baton Rouge Police Department first notified the public that Bert was missing on March 23.
He was last seen on March 22 in downtown Baton Rouge after dropping his wife and kids off at a hotel around 12:45 am.
Bert and his family stopped in Baton Rouge for the night due to a medical issue on his part. The group was returning to Florida from visiting family in Oklahoma, according to BRPD spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely, Jr.
Bert went to find a parking spot for their vehicle but never returned to his family. The vehicle, his wallet and cell phone were found by the police in the hotel’s parking garage the next day.
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