According to the East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office in Louisiana, a Florida man, missing for months, was found dead in the Mississippi River on Monday, August 14.
Jody Bert, 44, disappeared in March while visiting Baton Rouge with his family.
A dredging company reported the body around 11:30 pm on Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard then notified the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
The Maritime unit retrieved the body from the river and delivered it to the coroner’s office for further investigation. Preliminary reports suggest that no foul play was involved in Bert’s death.
Bert’s family had paused their trip from Oklahoma to Florida in Baton Rouge overnight due to a medical issue he experienced.
The Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) first alerted the public to his disappearance on March 23. He was last seen on March 22 in downtown Baton Rouge after dropping off his wife and children at a hotel around 12:45 am.
According to BRPD spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely, Jr., Bert left to find parking for their vehicle but never returned to his family. The vehicle, along with his wallet and cell phone, was found in the hotel’s parking garage the next day.
The family had been searching for Bert since his disappearance. The discovery of his body in the Mississippi River sadly brings their search to an end.
