Florida man missing for five months found dead in Mississippi River on August 14
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: The dead body pulled in from the Mississippi River on August 14 has been identified as the missing Florida man Jody Bert.
Per WAFB, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office informed that no obvious sign of foul play has been found in the death of the 44-year-old man who went missing in March 2023. The investigation is still going on in the case.
Who was Jody Bert?
Jody Bert was a 44-year-old Native American man who went missing on March 22, 2023. The family, originally from Florida, was visiting relatives in Oklahoma in March.
When they were driving back home to Florida, Bert suddenly started feeling ill, forcing the family to stop at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Per WAFB, Baton Rouge Police Department’s spokesperson Sgt L’Jean McKneely, Jr said during the time of his disappearance that due to Bert’s illness, they decided to call family members from Florida for help driving back home.
McKneely added that Bert then dropped his wife and children at a hotel in Baton Rouge and went to park his car. He never returned to the hotel.
The police later found the car in the hotel’s garage. Bert’s purse and cell phone were in the car.
Per his obituary, Bert was born Jody Tigertail Bert on November 20, 1978 in South Bay, Florida. He was married to Pearl Friday.
Burt’s memorial funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at First Baptist Church Big Cypress.
When was Jody Bert’s body found?
The body was found in the Mississippi River on August 14, when the Coast Guard called officers to respond to River Road near Farr Park around 11.25 pm.
According to the police, a dredging company named EBRSO Maritime found the body in the river while working at the location. Police sought the coroner’s help to determine the cause of death.
It was also reported that LSU Lab Faces collaborated with the police to identify the dead body.
The case is still ongoing.
