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Last updated on Wednesday, April 15, 2015
(JUDAH) - Lawrence County Police detectives found the body of Jesse Mills late Tuesday afternoon.
According to Sheriff Mike Branham detectives were on 4-wheelers Tuesday searching the area Mills was last seen.
"We have been out in that area for the last 16 days," Branham added. "His body was discovered around 4 p.m. in about waist-high water in Little Salt Creek."
Finding 38-year-old Mills was difficult because of high water.
"The water level has dropped 8 to 10 feet from where it was when he disappeared," Branham says.
An autopsy was performed today and found Mills drowned.
"There was no sign of injuries to the body," Branham added. "We were able to make a positive identification from his tattoos. Nothing was revealed other than he drowned. We are now waiting on the results of a toxicology report.
Mills was last seen on Donica Church Road early Sunday, March 29. A vehicle registered to Mills' mother Cheryl Martin was found on Donica Church Road near Judah. Martin told police her son had been driving it.
Sheriff Mike Branham says the area Mills went missing has some woods and fields, but only about a dozen houses in a half-mile radius of where the vehicle was found.
Police and Department of Natural Resource divers were searching the area of the Salt Creek River bottoms after search parties found items belonging to Mills but had no luck due to the high murky water.
Police discovered that Mills had walked 1,400 feet straight to Little Salt Creek.
"His body was found 1,000 feet downstream from where we believe he entered the water," Branham added. "We may never know why he walked in that direction."
After finding the body the Lawrence County Coroner, Marshall Volunteer Firefighters and Indiana Conservation officers were called to help recover the body.
"I would like to thank everyone in the community and law enforcement officials, emergency crews and volunteer firefighters who came out and helped us search for Mr. Mills and with his recovery." Branham added.
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