Police pulled a body from the Mississippi River in south St. Louis on Thursday after a caller reported something in the water near East Davis Street in the Patch neighborhood. Officers arrived just before noon and stayed at the riverfront as investigators worked to sort out what happened. The person has not been identified, and authorities have not released the individual's sex. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says the investigation remains active.
What officials say
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the recovery and said investigators have not yet determined the circumstances that led to the body being found, according to FOX 2. The outlet reports officers responded to the river near East Davis Street in the Patch neighborhood just before noon. Police have declined to share further information while detectives continue their work.
Early reporting and follow-ups
The first public account of the recovery was brief and syndicated on sites including AOL, with no additional details available as of Thursday evening. As in similar Mississippi River recoveries, the next formal step typically involves the Medical Examiner’s Office examining the remains and ruling on cause and manner of death, a process often referenced in past police notices. We contacted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for any further comment and will update this story if officials respond.
River recoveries in the region
Bodies recovered from the Mississippi River regularly surface in regional news. Earlier this year, Hoodline covered a recovery near Festus that ultimately led to an identification. The Missouri State Highway Patrol maintains an "Active Unidentified" list that includes cases linked to the Mississippi River, highlighting the difficulty investigators face when trying to identify remains found in waterways. Those efforts typically involve coordination among local police, marine rescue teams and the Medical Examiner.
How to help investigators
Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's tips page or call the department's non-emergency number at 314-231-1212. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to St. Louis Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477) or through its online tip form. Authorities say that even seemingly minor observations from the riverfront may help detectives identify the person and piece together what happened.
This is a developing story, and it will be updated as authorities release new information, including any findings from the Medical Examiner. The initial report on the recovery was published by FOX 2 and later syndicated by other local outlets while investigators remained at the scene.
