UPDATED 3:55 pm — Salem Police say they have confirmed the body found yesterday is that of Edward Clark, Junior.
Salem Police believe a man’s body found Monday is that of a city resident who may have been swept away last week by high waters behind his home. 54-year-old Edward Clark Junior was last seen alive July 4th. A medical examiner is expected to provide positive identification. WFIR’s Jay King has the story.
(Continue reading for the full Salem Police news release.)The Salem Police Department is conducting a death investigation after officers discovered the body of an adult white male Monday afternoon at approximately 3:30 p.m. The body was found near the 500 block of McClelland Street submerged in a nearby creek. At this point in the investigation, it does not appear that this person was a victim of a crime.
The discovery of the body was made as officers investigated a 54-year-old male, who was reported missing on Sunday, July 7, by his family members. Police began their search on Sunday afternoon and canvassed a large area along the stream until dark that evening. They were then joined on Monday by members of the Salem Fire and EMS Department, including the Swift Water Rescue team, before the body was discovered late yesterday afternoon. Indications are that the body is that of the missing person, Edward S. Clark, Jr. of Salem.
Clark was last seen performing yard work at his Salem residence in the 900 block of Academy Street on July 4, when he apparently was caught-up in the storm-swollen stream that flows behind his residence.
At this time, a positive identification of the deceased has not been made. The body has been transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office where further testing can be conducted. The Medical Examiner’s Office will ultimately determine the cause of death based upon its findings in conjunction with the Salem Police Department’s investigation.
