Found body identified as absent man

ATKINS - A body discovered in the Arkansas River over the weekend was that of a man missing since an Arkansas State Police trooper in January tried to stop a car in which the man was thought to have been inside, officials said.

Pope County Sheriff Aaron DuVall issued a news release Monday confirming that the body was that of Michael Shane Caldwell, 31, of Russellville.

A fisherman noticed the body floating near Sweeden Island near Atkins about 10:30 a.m. Saturday and contacted authorities.

The state medical examiner’s office called the sheriff’s office Monday afternoon to confirm the identification.

A trooper traveling along Arkansas 7 just before midnight on Jan. 11 crossed a bridge over the river and noticed that a vehicle was speeding, state police said. The trooper turned around to stop the vehicle but found it abandoned near a creek that backs into the river.

Neither the trooper nor sheriff ’s office personnel could find anyone afterward.

On Jan. 16, Caldwell was reported missing. The sheriff’s office concluded through an investigation that Caldwell had been in the vehicle that was abandoned the night of Jan. 11.

Pope County Coroner Leonard Krout said the body was found on the Yell County side of the river but that the Pope County sheriff’s office handled the matter.

Further information was unavailable Monday. The sheriff did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/25/2014

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