Autopsy of body found in river completed

Cape Girardeau County coroner John Clifton said a man who was found dead in the Mississippi River on Thursday showed no signs of obvious trauma, but Clifton was unwilling to speculate on a cause of death.

Clifton completed the autopsy of the man Friday afternoon. He said he will not identify the man, but said he was 48 or 49 years old and from South Carolina. Clifton said samples will be tested for toxicology.

The man was spotted by a Missouri Dry Dock and Repair worker just south of the dry dock near Fountain and Aquamsi streets, entangled in brush along the Missouri edge of the river. Clifton said the man was badly decomposed and probably was in the river for several weeks. Cape Girardeau firefighters recovered the body Thursday afternoon.

Cape Girardeau police collected evidence where the man’s body was found. Police are conducting an investigation to determine the identity of the man, why he was in the river and where he entered the river, according to public information officer Richard McCall. Police do not know whether foul play was involved in the man’s death, McCall said.

Pertinent address:

500 Aquamsi St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.