According to the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department, a man, whose remains were recovered from the Mississippi River in June 2022, have been identified. In a news release Sheriff Joey Higgerson said the remains were those of Robert Eaton, missing from Elizabeth, Indiana.
On June 2, 2022, the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a body that was spotted in the Mississippi River at Portageville. Over the next two years, New Madrid County law enforcement officials worked diligently to identify the body, looking into potential missing persons matches and following up on tips provided by the public. Unfortunately, none of these tips led to a positive identification.
Last June, investigators turned to Dr. Jenifer Bengtson, professor of anthropology at Southeast Missouri State University, to consult on the case. Dr. Bengtson and her students traveled to Portageville and met with investigators and Coroner George Delisle to examine the remains and select samples for further testing – leading to the eventual identification.
In the news release, Higgerson said they met Friday with members of Eaton’s family who traveled to Missouri to retrieve his remains and take them home to the Louisville area.
Further details are available on the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page.